"Do Authors Read While Writing?"
Readers often wonder about their favorite authors. I
know I have.
What does the process look like? Do they have certain superstitions
when it comes to writing? What drives them to write? And so many other inquires occur as book readers, causing us to wonder just what makes a writer tick.
Today marks a special occasion for the Writing in
the Modern Age blog. After six years of guest authors and freelance writers
visiting – not to mention featuring countless books – we’ve reached our 500th
post. Yay! Happy Anniversary to us, right? ;)
So, I thought…what better way to celebrate than to
bring back the heart of the blog in a sense, by asking many talented authors
some questions…
Are authors, in fact, superstitious
about reading other books while they work on their writing projects? More than eighty authors have weighed in on this question,
among a few other inquiries we wondered about, such as:
Does writing energize or exhaust
you?
How do you cure a case of writer’s
block?
Do
you want your book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of
work with connections between each book?
What kind of research do you do?
We've addressed these questions, and
many more. It's always fascinating to get this kind of perspective from
published writers. Get a true glimpse on how the creative process works!
Without further ado, let’s see what these cool authors have to say about their
writing…
Mark
Iles – science fiction, fantasy, and horror author. 8
published books, accredited Copywriter and Proofreader, features, B2B, film
& book reviews, blogger. Martial artist and war veteran.
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
I really struggle to
read now, as ironic as it sounds. This is for several reasons, the first being
that all the time I’m reading I’d much rather be writing. I also find myself
critiquing the books as I go, how this or that could have been better, picking
up grammatical errors, and often anticipating the endings. You just can’t help
it.
There are a few
writers, however, who do grip my attention – Kevin J. Anderson, for instance.
He’s an incredible writer and once I pick up a page-turner of his I can’t put
it down. John Wyndham’s another, although I’ve read each of his at least five times.
I get around this issue by buying audible whenever possible, and listening to
them as I drive or potter about the house. It’s cheating, I know, but this way
I can keep on top of most of my reading list while freeing up more time to
write.
What
are common traps for aspiring writers?
For me the first one
is believing that you’ll make it straight away. I don’t think we fully
appreciate that writing is a learning process, as much as any apprenticeship
is. It takes years of study to get anywhere near publishable, and I don’t
believe that even those who publish their first book submitted their first
draft – it had to be honed to perfection, or as near as damn it.
Then there are the
sites that say they are ‘looking for authors’. Remember that old maxim, that ‘if
something looks too good to be true it…’ trust me, it is. These people are just
looking for someone to pay their wages, and they’ll say anything to make you
part with your cash. I always wonder if anyone at all made it from treading
this route and I think it’s awful how they prey on people’s ‘need’ to be
published.
Lastly, that having a
book published is going to make you a fortune – it probably isn’t. I’ve learned
that the best way into a reader’s heart is to publish as regularly as you can,
so that they keep buying your books. I’m aware that I need to up my game here,
and my new year’s resolution is to finish at least one book a year from now on.
What
kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before
beginning a book?
I research quite
avidly prior to starting out the work, but it depends what it’s about. I write sci-fi
and so the science must be right. Readers will soon pick up on the fact you’ve
got it wrong. If, say, it’s a cave scene I’ll go visit one and immerse myself
in it. I’ll close my eyes, listening to sounds, what it smells like, et cetera, what
the air itself feels like. Of course I’ll research on the internet or at the
university library, but there’s no replacement for actually being in the exact
place, or one as similar as possible.
Linda
Heavner Gerald – Author of all genres
Do you read books for entertainment while you're working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract from your process?
No, I do not read while I write because I believe it
will distract from my process. Writing is precious to me. I try to work on my
books each day in some way; either writing, marketing, editing, social media,
or a dozen other things.
What inspired you to write? or What
inspired your latest work?
I
believe my inspiration for my books comes from God. Six years ago, I determined
that a vision, which I experienced each night, was from God. After praying, I
found myself drawn to my computer where I wrote my first book, Beaufort
Betrayal, in two weeks. Upon completion, I realized that God had blessed me
with a special talent of writing. Six years later, I have written and published
fifteen novels. Awards from FAPA (Florida Authors and Publishers Association)
as well as chosen by the readers as “One of Fifty Great Writers You Should Be
Reading.” Also awards from NovelUnity, and recognition from Women’s Empowerment
Group. My town of Port St Joe, Florida supports my efforts with tremendous
encouragement which I deeply appreciate.
What do you want to accomplish with
your writing?
My
goal in writing is to demonstrate that all of us “mess up each day.” God waits
to welcome us back. My books are stories of redemption. Before I write, I
always pray for His guidance. Without being “in your face”, my message is soft
and subtle.
Susanne
Matthews – Multi-genre, hybrid author who writes romantic
suspense, romantic thrillers, mild paranormal suspense, contemporary romance,
Christian romance suspense, women’s fiction, YA, historical romance, and
holiday themed novels
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
While I’m writing a novel, or even revising one for
republishing which seems to be pretty well all I do these days, I rarely have
time to read much of anything. I find that since I’ve become an author, reading
for pleasure is something I seem to have less and less time to do. Why? I’m not
quite sure, but here are some of my thoughts on the matter. Time seems to be in
shorter and shorter supply these days. Maybe it’s because I’m getting old and
slowing down, or it could be because of the increase in the demands for my
attention, which gives me less time to spend doing the things I used to.
Another reason could be my abject fear that when reading something I’ll
inadvertently incorporate some of the ideas into my own work. After reading
about the plagiarizing of Nora Roberts’s books by another author I enjoyed, I’m
terrified I could accidentally use a line or something myself. Therefore, I
keep my reading to times when I am between books. Better to be safe than sorry.
What do you want to accomplish with your
writing?
What I want most from my
writing is the chance to entertain readers. I can think of no greater thrill
than meeting someone and have them tell me how annoyed they are because they
started reading my book and couldn’t put it down. They left tasks undone
because they had to keep reading to find out what happens next. Being able to
drag someone into my mind, my work, gives me a huge sense of accomplishment.
That will be my legacy. And as long as someone says “I couldn’t put it down”
about every book I write, I’ll know I’ve succeeded.
Website: https://mhsusannematthews.ca/
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Susanne-Matthews/e/B00DJCKRP4
Michael
J. Sahno - Author of fiction & non-fiction
Do
you read books for entertainment while you're working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
I believe it will detract from my
creative process if I let someone else's fiction influence a WIP;
consequently, I only read for entertainment in between writing my novels.
Do
you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of
work with connections between each book?
I want each book to stand on its
own. I don't write in a serial format, but I hope readers will enjoy their
first exposure to my novels enough to want to read the others.
Links:
Olga Núñez Miret - multi-genre author, translator and reviewer
Do you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing
project, or do you believe it will detract from your process?
I
know, because I’ve read it, that some authors feel they should not read while
they write, or at least they should not read in the same genre, as it might
influence their writing in some way (not a good way, I guess). I also know a
writer who described her writing process as merely following the characters and
peeping in on what they did, and she could not read while she wrote a
particular story, as that distracted her from the task. That has never been the
case for me. I’m first and foremost a reader, and although I’ve been writing
for a long time, I’ve had periods in my life when I haven’t written (or at
least I haven’t written fiction), but I’ve never stopped reading.
I
started reading more books by indie authors since I published my first book in
2012, and I have also become a book reviewer (I am a member of Rosie’s Book
Review Team and any authors interested can check here). It’s true that now I pay more
attention to technique and take mental notes of things I like that others do
(no plot points, but the way the story is told, or how to inform the readers of
the background or previous story, for example), but I sometimes read
non-fiction books and also read in genres I don’t write, and I’ve never felt it
detracts from my writing. I’ve never needed an excuse to read, but you never
know what can spark an idea or where you can find that piece of information you
needed.
Does writing energize or
exhaust you?
It usually energizes me,
but it depends on which stage of the process I’m in. While I’m writing, and
because I’m not much of a plotter, I enjoy discovering the story, or at least
the details of the story, as I go along. At some point I start writing faster
because I have to get to the end. And that’s a great feeling. Editing is a bit
of a mixed bag for me. I always let the manuscript rest for a while and then I
go back to it with some trepidation. I always expect it to be pretty bad, and
that means I’m sometimes pleasantly surprised. I don’t mind the initial editing
and changing things, but when it comes to reading it over and over again to
find the tiny mistakes; I end up feeling quite bored. That is compounded in my
case because I translate my own books (either from English into Spanish or vice
versa, depending on which language I wrote the original in), and that means I
reread the original again when I translate it, and in more depth (that is good
for finding continuity errors), and then I have to correct both versions, so it
can get exhausting.
I have written some books
at times when things were quite difficult in my life, books with a positive outlook,
and they helped me keep my spirits up.
On the other hand, I
recently tried setting up a bit of time each day to write something, and
although I ended up with a story, it didn’t have the same effect on me. I guess
each person is different when it comes to writing. I’d rather find time for a
specific project I’m interested in, than just write as an obligation.
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching a
book project?
I’ve always stayed away from historical subjects, not because I’m not
interested in them, but because I worry about not getting the details right,
the language, et cetera, no matter how much research I do. So, setting most of my
books in the present (the present at the time I wrote the story or a
non-defined present-like time), there isn’t always much evident research needed
for the story. But the details can require a fair amount of research. Sometimes
it might have to do with the setting (I write a thriller series with a
psychiatrist as a protagonist. I’m a psychiatrist, so that side of things is
not a problem, but because she travels, I need to try and make sure the names
of places and the details make sense), others with specific laws, practical
information (depending on the type of crime)… But I wrote a book about a TV
program and a baking competition and I had to research recipes, for example… I
don’t normally start with the research, but I realize as I write that I need to
find out some things, and then I either leave it for later, or, quite likely, I
research what I need. That sometimes might send me in a different direction.
I also do translations, and I’ve worked on some projects that have
required more research than my own books, because I want to make sure the
details are right, and sometimes because there might be issues of localization,
or the books might take place in a world I know little about (a big tanker, for
example, the world of corporate business, or even a BDSM relationship). Believe
me; I’ve learned quite a few things thanks to the books I’ve translated.
Amber
Daulton – Romance Author and Blogger
Do you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a
writing project, or do you believe it will detract from your process?
I love reading and have so many books waiting on my Kindle, but I usually don’t
read while writing. I just don’t want someone else’s voice in my head, dictating
my actions. In the past, when I have read while working on a project, I start
second-guessing my style, grammar, and language because what I just read
differs from my own writing. Sometimes I wonder if I’m good enough and think
why should I write when another author has already written a similar story or
plot to mine. In this business, it’s easy for an author to lose confidence.
Everyone has different styles and opinions, and a lot of people are very verbal
about it, especially in negative reviews. I do everything I can to keep my
spirits up and stay focused on the task at hand, and that means no reading for
a few months, or at least until I finish my WIP. After I’m done writing, I
usually take a two or three week break and catch up on the books in my queue.
Then I start writing again and the cycle repeats.
Blogsite – http://www.amberdaultonauthor.blogspot.com
Amazon Author Page – http://amzn.to/14JoZff
Andy
Ruffett - Crime Fiction Author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
Yes, I read books for entertainment while I'm working on a
writing project. Sometimes I do nothing but read. And I don't think
that's healthy for a writer of my stature. I believe you need to read as much
as you write, because if you don't you fall behind one of your jobs: reading
or writing. For a writer, it's not bad to fall behind your reading. But to
fall behind your writing? Now, that's bad. And that has been me for
many months now. It's not that I don't write at all, it's just that I
don't produce as many words as I used to. But I do not believe that my reading
is detracting from my writing. A writer has to read. The only way a
writer improves his or her craft is by reading. If you don't read
while composing a project, you're never going to get better at the work
you're currently working on or any future writes.
It's not like being an actor or
actress and watching movies or television shows or plays of phenomenal actors
and actresses. An actor cannot learn that way because they are not acting,
they are just observing. An actor can only get better at their job by
understanding the words they have to perform, delivering them perfectly, and
observing how the other actors or actresses interact with the character the
actor or actress is portraying.
An actor cannot learn by only watching, but a writer can only learn how to
write by reading and then writing.
What
is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
Funnily enough, the writing. Sometimes I do not
want to write because I really do not know where I am carrying the story.
When I was younger, it was much easier for me to write. But I think with all
the wacky ideas in my head and in notebooks, I keep giving myself
mental road blocks.
If
you’ve ever had it, or might at some point, how do you cure a case of
writer’s block?
Well, it's probably ironic for me
to answer this question given my answer to the last one, but how you cure
writer's block is by focusing on a new writing project, taking a walk or some
activity that leads you outside so you can breathe fresh air and not worry
about the block, and then doing something that completely distracts you from
the writing process like watching a movie, eating dinner with friends or
family, going for a long bike ride. Whatever you need to do to forget the
project is now your main focus. Then, go to bed and don't focus on the
project until the next morning. By then, you will have been so distracted by
your other projects (that don't involve writing) that sudden insight should
occur. If not, take a longer break. Maybe a week or a month. If you're still
blocked, read or watch something that you know is filled with excellent
writing. Then ask yourself: How do I accomplish that?
And once you know the answer, do just that.
I know of one author who does not believe writer's block actually exists. She
believes that it's just pure laziness on the part of the writer. Well, I think that's
quite cruel like headaches don't exist either, but she has a point. I mean,
writer's block is simply the brain not being able to compute the next stretch
of the story. I do, however, believe that if you plan your full story
from beginning to end you shouldn't have to struggle because you planned so
far ahead. But I'm not a planner when it comes to writing. Well, not
usually. So I can't help you there.
Amazon Page: amazon.com/author/andyruffett
Marie
Lavender – Multi-genre Author and Blogger
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
It
depends on the book I’m writing, and how focused I am. Also, if it’s a long
project, I’m going to want to pick up a favorite read. Sometimes I read books
from the same genre to prepare myself for an upcoming project, but during the
writing process, I won’t read in that specific genre/sub-genre because I don’t
want to be too heavily influenced by those books. I’d like to make my own mark
on the industry. For the past year, I was going through some personal stuff,
and I found it difficult to get much writing or reading accomplished. But now, I am
getting back into the flow of everything, and I’ve reignited my habit of being
a bibliophile (book lover).
Do
you have a favorite quote about writing? What does it mean to you?
Hands down, my favorite is from Natalie Goldberg…
“Write what
disturbs you, what you fear, what you have not been willing to speak about. Be
willing to be split open.”
To
me, it means that we should be brave as writers. Open ourselves up to new
experiences, and delve deep inside to the dark truths we might have. Use those
emotions and pour them into our stories. Make a story as real as possible, even
if it’s a little uncomfortable or touches close to home. Readers will better
connect with what we know all too well – something reminiscent of the
human condition.
Did
you study writing in school, or take extra classes to develop your craft? Or,
have you learned everything on your own?
I
took writing classes in high school and college. I actually majored in Creative
Writing. But I will never overlook the benefits of a self-taught scenario.
There are so many writers’ resources available these days, and I have continued
to draw on those to develop my skills as a novelist.
Website: https://marielavender.com/
Universal Reading List:
https://books2read.com/rl/marielavendersbooks
Maggie
Blackbird – romancing Canada's Indigenous People
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
I always read during the writing process. If I
didn't, I'd never get to read, LOL, because I'm always writing. And it's a
nice way to study another author's work.
Does
writing energize or exhaust you?
Writing energizes me. When I'm fast drafting,
I always feel excited.
Web Site: https://maggieblackbird.com/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/maggieblackbirdauthor/
Stefan
Vucak – Author of contemporary political drama and
science fiction that challenges what is possible
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
When I am immersed in a new book
project – once I get going, that is – I try to write something every day.
Sometimes I generate lots of pages, and there are days when I simply spend time
editing what I have written. It all depends on my inspiration, mood, and things
going on around me. And sometimes I simply don’t feel like writing. However,
like a drug junkie, the creation process gives me an intense buzz and I need my
daily fix. Writing also takes a personal emotional toll and there are moments
when I need to recharge. That is when I turn to something else like reading …
among other things.
I am an avid reader and my interest
spans many genres, fiction and non-fiction alike. I believe it all sits somewhere in
my mind, adding to the store of information that I can draw on in my own
writing. For me, reading a book while working on my own is not a distraction at
all, and there is no danger that I will lose the thread of my story. I always
prepare a detailed outline for a book, and that helps to keep me focused.
Sometimes, though, my characters take me in an unexpected direction, but that
is part of the fun. The outline keeps them in check and prevents me from wondering
off into the forest of irrelevancy. Anyway, cradling a good book with a tumbler
of bourbon at my side is a necessary recharging process.
So, I would say read as you write
and open your imagination to new ideas and visions.
What are common traps for aspiring writers?
I don’t know how many times I have
read a comment on social media by an author proudly proclaiming how he or she
simply sits down and starts writing a book … and keeps going until it is
finished. Such comments are invariably followed by tales of woe having to go
through several drafts, edits, rewrites, and general frustration that the book
has not turned out exactly as envisioned. I am not surprised. Sitting down and
pounding away is like trying to build a house without a plan. No one does that,
not if they expect a properly built structure. In my view, it is the same with
a book.
Having reviewed a raft of books from
new writers, apart from technical problems such as incorrect grammar and poor
editing, the stories lack depth and cohesion. It was clear that most of them
were not thought out in sufficient detail. Why? The author probably did not
write a detailed outline, or only had a few bullet points for the plot. My
advice? Do the research and write that outline before getting into the story!
If you’ve ever had it, or might at some point, how do you
cure a case of writer’s block?
You are sitting at your writing
desk, chewing the end of that pen or staring at the computer wondering what the
hell to do next. The words just don’t want to come and your mind is a blank
slate. Let’s face it, one of the procrastination demons has gotten to you and
poisoned your mind. Writing is damn hard work. It’s lonely, your bones
fossilize as you spend hours frozen in one position, and irritation seeps in
when you hit that mental pothole. You have to accept that sometimes words just
don’t flow no matter how much you are straining. If they won’t come, they won’t
come. A cup of coffee or something stronger may lubricate the old brain pan and
help you get out of the mental pothole. I have found the best way to avoid
falling into that pothole is to have a detailed book outline where all the
major elements of the plot, sub-plots, and story sequences have been worked out
beforehand. You are building a street map for your novel. It tells you exactly
how to get to where you want to end up.
Everybody hits a snag that
grinds your writing to a stop. That’s the price we pay as writers. However,
taking an easy way out by procrastinating will not get that page written.
Revisit your outline. Focus on the plot thread that has unraveled and see what
needs to be done to weave it back into the story. The words will flow again.
Website: https://www.stefanvucak.com
Faye
Hall
– Australian Historical Romance Author
Do you read books for
entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it
will detract from your process?
I don't read at all
while I'm writing a book because I'm too scared that some of another author's
writing/ideas may slip into my own.
If you're a published
author, what has changed in the book industry? Is it harder to get a break
and get readers? Has the atmosphere in the writing world changed?
I think the biggest
problem at the moment is so many people want so much for free that not all
readers are willing to spend the price of a coffee on a book. I've also
noticed that so many younger people aren't reading like they used to, which I
think is sad. So many people are getting lost in the world of social
media and no longer allowing themselves to get lost in books anymore.
Like I said, I think this is very sad.
Does writing energize or
exhaust you?
Exhaust me! By the
time I've finished a book and sent it away to the publisher I'm quite drained
and need a few days/weeks before I can move onto the next project.
Karina
Bartow – mystery & romance author
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
I’ve honestly
never found reading as an impediment to my process, but I don’t always have
time for it. When I do, I’m often refreshed and find pointers from others’
styles. While editing my latest novel, for instance, I needed to reduce my
inactive verbs. Reading helped me think of active ones I don't use a lot, and
it gave me ideas of ways to arrange sentences that make them less passive.
Do
you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of
work with connections between each book?
I want each to be unique and a new experience for my
readers, so my work never goes stale. At the same time, however, I think it’s
important to have a few signatures carried throughout every story, something
that sets your work apart. That way, readers know what they can expect and even
come to anticipate it. With a series, especially, you want a good mix of
surprises and familiarity.
A. B.
Funkhauser - Satirist
Do you read books for
entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it
will detract from your process?
Yes to books, no to distraction. In fact I mix it up
with hefty doses of HBO docs, true crime non-fiction and biographies to knock
character traits loose. I love a good yarn, love penning them, too. For me, the
best inspiration comes from the newspaper, grocery store aisle convos and
stories ripped from real life. Then I take what I’ve learned and twist it out
of shape. Sometimes, what I get goes on to the page; other times, it just makes
me laugh, keeps me up, thinking. That’s what keeps me writing.
Diane Merrill Wigginton – Historical Romance/Young Adult Historical
Author/Publisher
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
When I
moved to Montana last year one of my neighbors found out that I was an author
and invited me to join her book club, so I did. I have so much fun with the
ladies, but I don't always like the books that they choose. Yet I always learn
something new from them, so I read what they pick. The answer to the
question is "Yes," I read for pleasure when I am writing and "No,"
it doesn't detract from my process at all.
Does writing energize or exhaust
you?
I guess
that would depend on the kind of scene I am writing. If it's a very emotional,
gripping scene where I have to dig deep and write a tragic scene, then it can
be very draining on me and I might be wrung out after two or three pages.
Otherwise, I enjoy writing and it can leave me feeling very energized even
after writing ten or fifteen pages.
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/author/dianemerrillwigginton
J.
R. Wirth — MS, LMFT/Author middle grade through
adult—paranormal, supernatural, and thrillers, all with psychological suspense.
Ezine poetry and short stories; and traditional publishing – short stories, and
novels.
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
I
read a lot whether it is a magazine, an ezine, news, web streaming, books, et cetera. I
often read while I am creating. It often inspires and instigates. I’m currently
finishing up a book which is almost complete and during the process I read Dan
Brown’s Inferno, and am almost finished with The Lost Symbol.
Does writing
energize or exhaust you?
I find writing both energizes and exhausts me. When
creating and then editing (fixing and expounding on) material, I get “brain
pumped,” which fuels more creative words and thoughts to flow. However, I give so much that sometimes I wear
myself out. At other times I may delay getting started because I know the
energy I will expend, will, most likely, wear me out.
Tina
Donahue - multi-genre romance author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
Since I finish a chapter a day (4k
to 5k words), plus doing revisions, I’m pretty much wiped out when I finish.
I’ll admit to watching TV then to unwind and not to have to think, except maybe
to revisit what I’d written that day in order to enhance the chapter. When I
read books, I want the full day so I can finish and not have any distractions.
Does writing energize or exhaust
you?
The only time I’m energized and
relaxed is when I write. In between projects, I’m antsy and unsettled. I need
to write as much as I need to breathe and eat. It’s necessary to my happiness.
What
kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching a book
project?
I
research via the net (it has everything), and do it thoroughly (plus an
outline) before I write one word. How long it takes to research depends upon
the book and genre. For example, my Spanish historical (1488) required tons of
research about clothing, furnishings, culture during that time, et cetera. With
a contemporary romance featuring a computer whiz, I had to learn that. Since
I’m no geek, that research took weeks.
Website/blog: https://tinadonahuebooks.blogspot.com/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Tina-Donahue/e/B001IZPJXO
P.T. Macias - Paranormal Romance
Author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
I
don't read books, because I don't want them to influence my writing. Yes, for a
long time I did believe that it would detract from my process. I do love to
read but I haven't read since I started writing in 2007.
I decided to start reviewing, so I hope it works
out.
Do
you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of
work with connections between each book?
I do want each book to stand on its
own, but all of my series connect via characters and the earth realm. I have
the supernatural community on the Earth realm where they coexist with humanity.
The Vhampiers and Dragons have their own realm. I love that my series connect
because I believe it gives the reader that feeling of joy and familiarity when
encountering their favorite characters again in other books.
Newsletter - https://www.subscribepage.com/ptmacias
Vina Arno - Romance Author
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
I can’t
live without books, so I read continuously regardless of my writing
projects. I read for entertainment. It doesn’t detract me at all.
What
do you want to accomplish with your writing?
I want to
tell compelling stories. Having said that, my ultimate goal is to make fiction
writing my day job.
Links:
Author Website: https://www.cindyfazzi.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CindyFazzi
Fiona Tarr – Religious/Mythological Fantasy
Author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
I never read for entertainment while I am writing. I
focus on writing my current project because reading other authors can
distract me, but also influence my writing style.
What do you want to accomplish with your
writing?
I hope to reach a point where I can write full time,
but more importantly, I would like to know that readers are entertained
and inspired by my books.
Links:
Charity Parkerson – Author of M/M
Romance
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
I don’t read when I’m writing. I
wouldn’t want my writing style influenced by anyone else. To stay consistent
and true to my style, I avoid books in the same genre as me.
How
do you cope with bad reviews?
I don’t read them. For years, I
used to obsess over bad reviews. They would stop me from writing for weeks.
Over the years, I’ve learned they’re not for me. They’re not even about me. No
one reads the same story. Everyone sees books through their experiences. So, I
choose not to read them and let them influence me. I write for myself, to make
myself happy, and I’m blessed to have people who want to read my books to make
them happy.
Jeffery Martin Botzenhart – Multi-genre
author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
I do not read other books for entertainment while
writing. I find that it distracts me.
What kind
of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a
book?
Depending on the story I'm writing, my research
focuses on the setting, technology in the time period, and general ideas about
the way people dressed or talked, especially if it's a historical piece.
What
inspired your latest work?
Perfection,
soon to be released by Solstice, was actually inspired by Romeo and Juliet. An
idea of a doomed romance came to mind. Roughly a month later, I found the perfect
setting for my story. Being a huge fan of James Bond movies, I envisioned a
sprawling story, featuring action, technology, and romance. I believe I
achieved what I set out to do.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JBotzenhart
David W. Thompson – Dark fiction and paranormal author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
For the majority of the time I am working on a
story, I will take occasional breaks from my efforts to read. When crafting
critical portions and during the conclusion of any WIP, I'm not good for much
else and read very little.
Between the end of my 1st draft and starting the
editing process, I may read several books to get some separation from my story.
Fresh eyes and mind, I guess... or at least that's my story!
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying
to build a body of work with connections between each book?
Both,
actually. My short stories for instance aren't "related" at all. With
the "Legends" trilogy, all three tales are stand alone in their own
right. However, they do follow the same family line. But with a century
separating the stories, the main characters are quite different...only the
ancient evil, the family's scourge, remains the same throughout.
What do you want to accomplish with your writing?
My main
goal is to entertain. I consider that to be a writer's primary job. If I can
shed some light on past (or present) injustices, or inspire someone to look at
something in a different light, well that's icing on the literary cake.
Twitter at: https://twitter.com/Thompson_DavidW
K.C. Sprayberry – Author of Teen Books
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
I don’t read a book while I’m
working on a project. Yes, I believe it will influence what I’m working on and
I might get off track. However, if I get stuck while writing, I will take a
break and read a book totally unrelated to my genre.
Does
writing energize or exhaust you?
It all depends. Most times, I’m
energized, the characters are in control, and the flow is working well. There
are moments, though, where I’m having to slow down, take my time with the
details, and I’ll be exhausted when a particularly tense scene is completed.
Chrys
Fey
- author, editor, and blogger
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
I always read for entertainment, but
whether or not I read really depends on my mood, not if I am working on a
writing project or what genre that project may be. I go through reading ruts
where I don’t read as much as I usually would. Mostly this is because I can’t
decide what I feel like reading; nothing appeals to me at the time.
When I was younger, I was always
reading and writing. If I wasn’t doing one, I was doing the other. And I would
read books similar to what I was working on all the time, because that’s what I
was interested in. It took me years to write my first book, so not reading a
genre I love for years would’ve been quite silly.
Recently I have noticed that I don’t
read as much when I am writing. This isn’t a conscious decision, though. I
expend so much energy in writing, and it consumes so much of my time, that I
tend to be too tired to read afterward.
If you've ever had it, or might at some point, how do you cure a case of writer's block?
What cures one writer’s block, may
not cure another writer’s block. Or what works one time for you, may not work a
second time.
My biggest case of writer’s block
happened when I was seventeen and lasted a month or two. What I did then was
figure out what was causing my block. After some time, I realized I was blocked
on my current project because I had matured, and my characters had matured with
me, but the work I had done previously (three books) did not fit with what I
was currently doing, so, I set off on the task of rewriting that series and
recreating the concept. This didn’t bother me. Instead, it excited me. I had a
blast writing the new series. All six or seven years of writing that new series
was a pure joy.
Did you study writing in school, or take extra classes to
develop your craft? Or, have you learned everything on your own?
I learned everything on my own, from
the moment I started writing at the age of twelve to now. I am constantly
learning and improving my craft. I don’t believe you need a degree in English
Literature to be a writer, but, if I could have, I would’ve taken classes or
studied writing in college, because that’s what I yearned to do. My life led me
down a different path, though, making that impossible. So, I became my own MFA
professor. I devoured books and wrote all the time, the two most important
things a writer needs to do to grow. If there’s one thing I want aspiring
writers to know, it’s that you don’t need a degree to write or to publish. As a
matter of fact, I have my GED.
Website: https://www.ChrysFey.com
Empi Baryeh – Romance Author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
Yes, I read for entertainment while
working on a writing project. I may stay away from books with plots that sound
similar to what I’m working on, but I’d certainly read other books.
If you’ve ever had it, or might at
some point, how do you cure a case of writer’s block?
Music inspires me in general, so I
listen to a playlist of my all-time favorite songs. I also take the
opportunity to binge read or watch TV series. If the block doesn’t lift within
a few days, I go back to the story and start reading it from the beginning,
which usually helps to figure out what isn’t working for me in the first place.
How do you cope with bad reviews?
As long as I have more positive
reviews than negative, I don’t worry too much about my review average, but I do
worry about the content of a bad review. Some reviewers are so brutal with
their choice of words.
I cope by reminding myself that not
everyone will love my book, and the biggest names in the business have one-star
reviews too. I take a step back to analyze what the reader didn’t like to see
if there are lessons I can pick for future projects.
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/EmpiBaryeh
Virginia
Babcock – Multi-genre author
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
I read books all the time. When I’m
writing it makes it both harder to concentrate on my reading AND write. Lately,
I’ve been picking fast-moving books that grip me or old favorites. This way I
can spend less time reading, which frees up time to write and saves brain space
for writing.
If
you’ve ever had it, or might at some point, how do you cure a case of writer’s
block?
Yes. I’ve had some killer cases of
it. I’m not through my last case yet. But, focusing and trying to get some done
has helped. To keep going, I’m limiting editing so as to not stop the flow of
creativity. I’ll cut out the bad stuff and perfect later.
Do
you have a favorite quote about writing? What does it mean to you?
Yes: “A writer is a reader moved to
emulation.” By Saul Bellow. This is why I write.
S.
Cinders – Romance Author
Do you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing
project, or do you believe it will detract from your process?
I honestly do not have time to read.
However, I love books, so instead of reading traditionally, I listen to audio
books at night. BTW, it can make for some really crazy dreams.
That being said, I don't think it
deters from my writing. I think that each story is unique and beautiful in its
own right. Usually what I am reading at the time is VERY different from what I
am writing so it feels like a break.
And we know as authors that it is
rare we have the chance to really sit back and relax.
Tom Johnson – multi-genre author
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
Yes, I’ve been reading for pleasure for 70 years.
The entertainment value of reading while creating your own worlds cannot be
stressed enough. We are all influenced by other writers. Those who don’t read
usually fall flat when trying to entertain.
What inspired you to write? or What
inspired your latest work?
I
was a fan of the pulp genre, action stories set in the 1930s & ‘40s, as
well as jungle romance adventures by authors like Edgar Rice Burroughs. My
first attempt at writing, in fact, was influenced by Burroughs. I created the
JUR series that eventually ran for six issues.
Do you have a favorite quote about
writing? What does it mean to you?
"It is not
true that we have only one life to live; if we can read, we can live as many
more lives and as many kinds of lives as we wish." - S. I. Hayakawa
This has always inspired me while writing. I want to create my own
worlds and characters, and introduce them to readers.
Pamela
Q. Fernandes – author, doctor and podcaster
Do you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing
project, or do you believe it will detract from your process?
I prefer not to read other books because the words
or style tends to bleed into my writing. So I'm usually more focused when I
write my books if I don't read someone else's work.
What
inspired your latest work?
My latest work was inspired by sports. I actually
started writing a book on soccer but found with my Indian background, I knew so
much about cricket. That got me thinking of a sports series. Soon I wrote
Bowled, which is book one in the series with Touchpoint Press and three more to
follow.
Linda
Diane Wattley – Author who writes fiction and
nonfiction to strengthen and encourage others…
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
While working on writing projects, I continue to
read and review books because it gives me a break from my project. It's
like a different part of my brain being used. Reading always relaxes me.
K.T. Rose – Dark fiction and
Suspense Author
Do you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing
project, or do you believe it will detract from your process?
Sometimes. They seem to help me get back in touch with my
inner thoughts and remind me of what I need to keep in mind when I'm
polishing a draft. It only detracts me from writer's block. It also
helps me open up my mind to all types of options. If I'm stuck,
reading other books reminds me that there isn't just one way to reach
the end. Never be afraid of investigating other scenarios or
outcomes.
How do you cope with bad reviews?
I read them and determine if it's worth considering as I write the next
book. Sometimes, I blow them off. Perhaps my stuff isn't for that reader, and
that's okay. There are lots of popular books that aren't for me. It comes with
the trade. A bad review isn't the end of the world. I'll keep writing for those
who like my writing and want more.
Website: https://kyrobooks.com/
Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/K.T.-Rose/e/B01N4T91M2/
Khaled Talib – Thriller Author
Do you read books for
entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it
will detract from your process?
I don’t
have a hard and fast rule when it comes to reading while writing. It depends on
how much time I have. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t.
From my
personal experience, it has not detracted me from my process as I am clear in
my mind the direction I want to take. I do, however, feel a sense of guilt, as
if I have abandoned my project. But I’ll ignore the feeling and continue to
read before going back to my own writing.
If you’re
a reader, you can read anytime, anywhere. But if you’re a writer, you won’t
have that same kind of privilege. I won’t pick up a second book to read when
I’m ready to write again.
Breaks in
between, which could mean days or weeks, may not necessarily mean picking up
another book because I need to decompress my mind from seeing words. So,
watching a movie or a TV series is fine, but reading a page from a book is
mentally strenuous, at least in my case.
Reading
takes time, writing takes time. I’m not the most disciplined person on the
planet, so my fear is that I’ll end up stalling. Sometimes I don’t have the
energy to read after hours of writing. Others might be able to do it, but not
me. If I do read for entertainment, it’ll be a short book.
Like most
writers, I spend a lot of hours writing. I even avoid friends or going out
unnecessarily, what more…read a book for entertainment? I don’t have a choice,
the luxury of indulgence has been taken away from me. I need to prioritize what
constitutes entertainment, otherwise I might end up asking myself, “Where did
the time go?”
I prefer
to read after finishing a manuscript as I feel free. No guilt, no stress, just
peace of mind.
How do you cope with bad reviews?
The first time I saw a bad review
of my book, it was on Goodreads. I started hyperventilating. I even wrote to
Goodreads to complain about it. A customer service staff tried to pacify me,
saying I’ve accomplished so much I shouldn’t fret about one zit. But I wanted
everything to look nice and pretty. Do you like seeing a dent on a new car or a
crack on your new cell phone that you purchased just days ago? It took a while
for me to get used to the fact that not every reader is going to enjoy my book.
On the bright side, the ratio is
more than often positive. I get more good reviews than bad ones, and that keeps
me afloat.
But the one rule I do have is never
get personal with the reviewer. There have been cases when the reviewer and
reader didn’t read the book (they even admit it), so instead of telling them
off, I’ll block them from trolling me further.
On one occasion I had a blogger who
cursed the entire book. She had nothing nice to say about it. The person was
rude. I ignored the reviewer, but I took no further action and classified the
incident as a weird experience, considering I had received plenty of positive
reviews previously.
Focus is the keyword. Keep going. There is no time to get
yourself entrenched in some petty squabble.
However, when a reviewer makes a
factual mistake, I’ll email them to point it out. This kind of situation is
managed amicably.
Recently, I read a story about a
writer stalking a reviewer at his home. She wanted to know why he hated her
book. I thought that was a bizarre case. It’ll make an interesting thriller
novel, but on the serious side I’ll never stalk a reviewer just because he or
she has a different opinion.
I have written three novels and
several short stories. I have such a thick skin now that my attitude towards
bad reviews is come what may.
In any case, bad reviews do not
imply the end of your writing world. Customers have purchased my books despite
seeing bad reviews peppered with good ones. There are many people out there who
prefer to judge things for themselves, so have faith that things will work out.
A bad review can also be a good
thing. If the book receives a hundred percent positive rating, people are going
to wonder if this is a marketing scam.
Here’s a case study: I had an
incident once with a blogger who didn’t quite like a book of mine, but I
maintained a good relationship with the blogger instead of cursing her to hell.
I put my feet into her shoes and tried to understand her perspective. I
realized she had a certain preference, so I accepted her opinion as a fair
comment.
My gut feeling told me my next book
would appeal to her. When the new book got published, I sent her a copy and
invited her to review it. She agreed but her attitude changed towards this new
book, and she gave me a cool five stars!
Moral of the story? Be cool.
Wayne Neely - Author of 13 books
based on hurricanes of the region.
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
No, I
don't because I think it distracts me from my writing, but if I am working on a
new book manuscript I would read a book or two related to my research work,
which would be on the subject of 'hurricanes' which is what my 13 books are
based on.
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
It's a combination of both.
Depending on what subject matter I am working on. If it is a difficult matter,
then it drains me mentally. But if it is an easy subject matter to write on then
it energizes me, and my work flows a little more efficiently.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying
to build a body of work with connections between each book?
Yes, I do, but I do find that the more
recent book or books tend to be my greatest books. I feel they can stand alone and
that is mostly because my earlier books tend to be a bit weaker. If I
made a mistake in my earlier books, it helps me to learn from them and make the
necessary corrections or adjustment in my latest book or books.
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend
researching a book project?
Historical research and my research
period takes anywhere between 6 to 8 months. Research is the most difficult
part of my artistic process.
If you’ve ever had it, or might at some point, how do you
cure a case of writer’s block?
Yes, I do, and typically I will put
the work away and go see a movie, or simply go and watch a TV show based on
nature.
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/wayne.neely.5
www.amazon.com/wayneneely
Sandra Perez Gluschankoff
– Historical fiction, time-slip novelist
Do you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing
project, or do you believe it will detract from your process?
Reading is something I do always, on a daily basis, right when I hit my bed
at night. It helps me unwind. It takes me away from all pressing matters and
transports me to storyland, a place I usually inhabit with my own characters
and my own stories. The difference is that reading places me in the back seat
instead of the wheel, so I get to enjoy a ride into somebody else’s
story. Reading other people’s work doesn’t interfere with mine. On the
contrary, it refreshes my thoughts, it helps putting my work into perspective.
Amazon page: amazon.com/author/sandragluschankoff
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/palabrasandstories
Leslie
Hachtel – Romance Author
Do you read books
for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe
it will detract from your process?
I read about three books a week. I love to read! And no, it doesn't
detract from my process. On the contrary, reading good books energizes me and
makes me want to achieve more and better.
What are common
traps for aspiring writers?
Sadly, many aspiring
writers think that as soon as they finish their book, they will immediately hit
the bestseller list and get rich. It happens. but very, very rarely. The truth
is, this is a marathon, not a sprint. If you tell your stories well, you will
reach other people with your message. And isn't that the most important part?
What kind of
research do you do, and how long do you spend researching a book project?
I spend a great deal of time on
research. To me, there is nothing worse that writing about something and
getting the facts wrong. When I wrote Hannah's War, I spent months
going over some of the many aspects of the Civil War and made sure of my facts.
It was the same for A Dance in Time. That book included the sinking
of The Mary Rose and I made sure of my accuracy to the best of my
ability. I believe if you're going to "quote" history, you need to
get it right, no matter how long it takes.
Website: https://www.lesliehachtel.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lesliehachtelwriter/
Marianne
Petit – Romance author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
I try to stay away from books in my
genre while I am writing because it distracts me. I find I start dissecting
their book, comparing it to mine and then I start second-guessing my
own writing. Plus I don’t want to be influenced by their writing
style.
https://www.amazon.com/Marianne-Petit/e/B002BLOT7G/
Aaron
Dennis – sci-fi/fantasy/horror author
Do
you read books for entertainment while you're working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
Both? I do sometimes read other books while writing my own stories, but I have
also encountered instances during which I needed to stop reading the book I was
enjoying because it was affecting my writing.
One time, I was reading Phule's Paradise, a 70's sci-fi, while I was writing my own sci-fi
short story. I wanted to see if I could figure out the element that made sci-fi
feel like sci-fi. Was it describing alien life forms? Was it introducing bizarre technology, which may or may not
actually function? Or was it plainly the words chosen for the narrative?
I mean, if you read fantasy, you come across words
or phrases like, ‘Let us make haste’ or ‘Man the ramparts’ – nary a lull. The
words in the narrative make the fantasy story feel like fantasy, and not
necessarily the magic and dragons throughout.
Another time, I was reading an autobiography while writing a novel, and the
autobiography was so engrossing that it led me to research the writer and the
circumstances of his life, so I was more drawn to the book I was reading than
my own work, and I found myself thinking through my story less and less. That
time, I just finished the autobiography, did all my research, and moved on. I
think I took something like a two week break from my story to do all that, but
then I got back into it, reading through each chapter to recapture the feel of
the story.
In the end, it really depends on the person, project, and what they're reading.
I mean, if reading one thing while working on another works for you, keep at
it. If, on the other hand, you find yourself consistently more interested in reading
than writing, I suggest you finish whatever you're reading, and then finish
your writing before starting a new read.
I would also extend this to other media. Are you binge watching a show while
writing? Are you binge playing a new video game while writing?
I'm not a big show watcher, but I play a lot of video games; I review them, so
it's kind of important I keep doing this. However, I try to choose a mindless
game with less story when I'm writing a new project.
For instance, the story line for the Fire Emblem games is quite engrossing, and
you have to play through the games a few times to learn everything about the
world and its characters, so I probably wouldn't play Fire Emblem while in the middle of a new project, but rather after the
project is drafted, and I'm waiting for beta readers, or something. I will
play something like Wind Waker, though, because the story is not very complex,
and a lot of the game is just running around, slashing baddies, and collecting
items, so the mindlessness combined with the visual and auditory stimuli works
to my benefit.
Not all us writers are old farts... :)
What do you want to accomplish with your
writing?
I want to change the way people think. We've been taught how to walk, eat,
write, and everything else, but we've also been taught how to think by our
parents, peers, teachers, instructors, television, and books. We think
incorrectly, but we've never so much as conceived this as a possibility, which
I feel is proof positive that we've learned to think incorrectly.
It's not possible for us to be thinking correctly without wondering if the way
we think is correct. Can we truly believe we're always right? Aren't we often
proven wrong?
Let me put it like this: Logic is only logical to you because of the way you
reason, which is based on your life experience, predilections, and priorities,
but no one else has lived your life. Not everyone shares your likes and goals,
so the way you think, and the choices you make, and your reasoning is only
logical to you; this is why there are so many disagreements. This is also why
we have to speak to each other with analogies.
If I say to you, "It's cold outside!", you know what cold is to you, but you step
outside to find it's only slightly chilly. Now, had I said, “It's 50 degrees
outside!”, you'd know how you're going to feel.
I also can't describe to you the color red, the sound a guitar makes, or the
feel of soft skin. I have to provide analogies; we have to compare and contrast
experiences in order to find a common ground, and then, we get mad at each
other when we can't find that common ground. It's senseless because we've been
taught to think incorrectly.
Now, what does this have to do with sci-fi, fantasy, and horror? Read my books
and stories. The genre is just my setting, but you'll never find characters
more real in anyone else's work because my characters are teaching lessons via
their experiences in my stories. It's really neat once you see it. Of course, I
also have a few non-fiction titles out there for everyone to enjoy....
Thanks for reading my answers!
Sheryl Dee –
romance author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
I do read books for
entertainment while working on a writing project, most recently in the editing
stage.
Did
you study writing in school, or take extra classes to develop your craft? Or,
have you learned everything on your own?
At UNC-CH, I
minored in creative writing and did a senior thesis in it that became my first
literary novel, which won an author fellowship.
I also studied with
Poetry for the People at UC Berkeley.
Nina
Soden – Urban Fantasy Author
Do you read books for entertainment while
you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract from
your process?
YES! I think it is important to
always be reading. I am always in the middle of at least one or two books at
any given time. Sometimes I read just for pleasure, sometimes I'm reading books
I can learn from, but I'm always reading no matter what stage of the writing
process I'm in.
What are common traps for aspiring
writers?
There are so many, but I think one
of the worst is editing as you go. If you get in the cycle of editing every
time you sit down to write, it is hard to finish anything. I'm always telling
the teens I work with that they need to just put everything on paper first,
then go back and read/edit/re-write.
What do you want to accomplish with
your writing?
Honestly, just to entertain people.
I enjoy the creative process of writing and if I can entertain just one person,
then I'm happy.
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Nina_Soden
Jes Drew – Action Writer
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
I read while I write because that is
the number one best way for me hone my craft- by seeing what I like and don't
like in others' work, and it also teaches the finer points of genre so I know
what my readers are looking for.
What
are common traps for aspiring writers?
One common trap is trying to create
your magnum opus in the first draft – that's never going to happen, even if you
write for fifty years. You need to focus on writing that first draft – and edit
it later.
Another common trap would be trying
to do what everyone else is doing. Pave your own trail. There will be enough
writers telling others' stories; but there will be only you telling yours.
Do
you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of
work with connections between each book?
I personally tie all my works
together in a fictional multiverse, but I've always had great respect in books
that can stand on their own. It depends on your genre, your audience, and the
story you have to tell which path you choose.
Links:
Sierra
N. Terry – Fantasy Writer and Artist
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
I don't read, but it's not because I
think it detracts me from anything! You see, the more books I wrote the less
time I ended up having. I double as an artist and I incorporate my art into all
my books and art in general is a timely process. I also happen to have two jobs
right now so my time is extra limited. Normally it's work, come home and get
novel/art stuff done then back to work. Basically I don't get any free time to
look at other things even when I want to. But! That might change when I get my
novel series finished! There's only one way to find out!
Do
you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of
work with connections between each book?
Okay, so this is a fun question! It
turned out as both! I call The Four Kingdoms a "series" yet I made it
so they all could be read individually but still all connect to the very first
story 'The Longest Knight'. Did it start out that way when I started the first
book? Of course not! I had no plans for other books but like with a lot of
things I make, this project spun completely out of control. And now there are 5
books in The Four Kingdoms Series!
Does
writing energize or exhaust you?
Can I say both? I'm a little strange
I guess! When I'm writing something good I get really into it and I'm typing a
mile a minute. But at the same time there have been plenty of times when
writing did a good job at putting me to sleep! The only exception: erotica.
That is a whole different story.
Novel series page: https://facebook.com/The-Four-Kingdoms-Series-1483070485114684
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Sierra-Terry/e/B07BB78HMN
Judi Getch Brodman – Mystery/Romance author and blogger
Do you read books for entertainment while you’re working
on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract from your process?
The answer is yes and
no. Sometimes when I’m writing, I feel
as though I’ve gone stale… my words are flat, mundane. My magical edge disappears. When that happens, I pick up one of my
favorite writers and read a chapter or two. Reading someone else’s words energizes me and when I return to my work,
the magic continues. Normally I’ll read when my
latest manuscript is in editing with the publisher or just before I start a new
manuscript.
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Absolutely energizes me. It takes me to places that I love with people
I adore. It’s my world and my world
alone until I share it with my readers.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you
trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
I do both. I have written stand-alone books like The
Looking Glass Labyrinth. Although I
have readers ask me to bring the second woman character back to 1804 as well…
and see what happens. She’s Not You
was written as a stand-alone, but the characters, Jack and Jamie, became so
loved and they work so well as a team that they caused the “Oyster Point
Mystery” series to be born. I’m working
on the second, Treat Me Nice. I’m
about to submit another stand-alone to the publisher… Dark Secrets, a Paris
based mystery. I guess the answer is
that I don’t really know what connections might be generated that are strong
enough to generate a follow-on book… that’s true for me.
How do you cope with bad reviews?
I scan them. If I find some nuggets in them, I’ll use
them, if not, I forget about them. Not
all books appeal to all people. I
embrace the ones that love my writing and that’s what keeps me writing.
Did you study writing in school, or take extra classes to
develop your craft? Or, have you learned everything on your own?
My degrees are in Math and
Physics with a Masters in Computer Engineering. I published technical papers in Journals and received awards for my
writing. But creative writing is VERY
different. I knew when I began writing creatively that I needed guidance, so I
joined a writers group. I won’t kid you;
it’s frightening when you put your first written piece out there to
strangers. But if you’re in a good supportive
writers group and you’re open to constructive criticism, you’ll definitely
grow as a writer. I also took Creative
Writing at FAU. And even then, I felt I
had more to learn. I enrolled in an
online course from an author I love, and she changed my writing
dramatically. I write with more feeling
and my characters have much more depth and backstory…
Nicolina Martin – Romance Author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
I do read, and I don't feel it
detracts me from my current work, rather it's my work that ruins my reading
because I'm so invested in my story. It's alive in me 24/7 and it's hard to get
into something else while my brain is occupied. Sadly.
Does writing energize or exhaust
you?
It varies. Sometimes thousands of
words flow out of me, and I'm getting super excited.
Sometimes, often after
having been very productive, I slam into a wall, and it goes OH so slow.
Then I
complain to everyone who have the energy, or politeness, to listen, and have to
push until I'm past the threshold. That is draining.
What do you want to accomplish with
your writing?
Someone told me recently that
reading one of my books had made her forget her chronic pain for a few hours
because she had been so immersed. THAT is what I want to give people: a little
escape into an imaginary world where you get to laugh and cry, and hold on to
your seat, and get all hot and bothered. I want people to join me in my love
for my characters and my story and have a good time.
https://www.amazon.com/Nicolina-Martin/e/B07GSG5MFF
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/nicolina-martin
Alice
J Miller – Writer of Sweet Romances
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
I used to not read whilst writing,
but as I’ve nearly always got a book in my head waiting to come out, now I do
read, but try very hard to never incorporate anything I’ve read in my current
story.
Does
writing energize or exhaust you?
It does both. When it’s hard, and
I’m squeezing out words at a rate slower than a snail in a hurry, then it’s
exhausting and I walk away feeling like a complete failure.
When the words are flying and my
fingers can’t keep up with my mind, I’m energized whilst writing, but when I
stop then I feel tired, but happy tired, if you get my meaning.
Do
you have a favorite quote about writing? What does it mean to you?
I don’t know where this came from,
but I found this ages ago. Although it’s not uplifting in any way, it always
makes me grin because it’s so true, and it’s totally self-inflicted.
Give someone a book, they’ll read
for a day.
Teach someone to write a book….and
they’ll spend a lifetime mired in paralyzing self-doubt.
I think that sums up my writing life
perfectly.
Margaret
Egrot – Playwright & YA and Literary Fiction Author
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
I always have a book on my bedside
table which is nothing to do with my WIP. It's usually a book I've picked up at
the second hand book stall I run once a month for a local community theater.
I've just been reading Milkman by Anna Burns, I'm the King of the
Castle by Susan Hill, and Small Island by Andrea Levy. Different
eras and settings, so all good escapist stories in very different ways.
Inspiring, rather than distracting.
Does
writing energize or exhaust me?
Finding reasons for not writing is
quite exhausting, as is worrying about not writing (most of the day). Taking a
grip, and writing 500 - 1,000 words in a sitting is almost spiritually energizing. (As I'm told a successful work-out in the gym can be - I don't
know, I've never tried).
How
do I cope with bad reviews?
I've only had one bad (one star)
review. It was in relation to a story I had in an anthology (Festive
Treats). My story was singled out as being dull and predictable. The next
review was for five stars and again my story was singled out - for being witty
with an unexpected ending. The juxtaposition of the reviews made me smile - it
just showed that you cannot please everybody.
Bradley Campbell –
Suspense/Romance Author
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
That’s a tough one. Honestly I find
it difficult to read for pleasure period. It’s like a chef going to a
restaurant for dinner. There’s always a part of the mind that’s subconscious,
analyzing instead of digesting.
Does
writing energize or exhaust me?
I believe good writing drains me.
But it’s a good feeling, like the exhaustion you feel after really good intercourse.
Linda Covella – Children’s Author
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
My mother was a school librarian, and
she instilled in me a love of books and reading. And I always must have a book
to read. Reading for entertainment doesn’t distract me one bit. For me, reading
while working on a story are separate, unrelated activities.
However, in a general sense, reading
other authors’ works will always help me improve my own writing. I think it’s
essential for writers to also be readers. We learn technique from others, what
to do and what not to do. We can be inspired by other books, as well.
But when I’m working on my own project,
I continue to read without being distracted from my current work-in-progress
(WIP).
What
is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
The most difficult part of writing for
me is getting the first draft written. The problem is I want to edit as I go,
finding just the right word or phrase, et cetera. This slows me down terribly.
Writers are taught to “just write,” to not worry about editing while writing
the first draft. I guess this is against my nature, shutting down my “inner
editor.” Though by now I’ve accepted the way I write, I’m still trying to
compromise and at least tell my inner editor to back off occasionally!
What
are common traps for aspiring writers?
Aspiring writers need to, first of all,
understand that writing is a craft, something that they need to learn. And we
never stop learning, never stop working at improving. Reading books is a great
learning tool; read lots in your genre, but other genres as well. Writing
classes are a huge help, especially ones that provide feedback from the
instructor and classmates.
Forming or joining a critique group is
another way to get feedback on your work. When I first started writing
seriously (pursuing publication), I was reluctant and shy to join a critique
group and have others read my work. When another writer and I formed a group
and brought in four more writers, it turned out to be one of the best things I
could have done for my writing. We learned from and helped each other not only
with our writing, but with the ins and outs of pursuing publication. Critique
partners are especially important if you plan to self-publish. You want to make
sure you’re putting out a quality product!
Finally, aspiring writers need to live
by the old cliché “Never Give Up!” It’s difficult not to get discouraged by
rejections and negative criticism. But if the criticism is constructive, take
it to heart. You may or may not decide to follow any advice, but you should
step back from the hurt you might feel and look at the criticism objectively.
And keep at it, keep improving, keep submitting. If you’re passionate about the
process, if you keep at it, keep improving, keep submitting, your dream of
publication will come true!
Cleo Scornavacca - Award-winning Author
of Adult Romance
Do you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing
project, or do you believe it will detract from your process?
I definitely read as much as possible, whether I’m
writing or not. I don’t feel it takes time away or detracts from my writing. In
fact, it’s a motivator. I saw a speech by Sylvia Day, one of my favorite authors,
who said you need to read and you need to read your genre, it helps to give you
better understanding, and to learn and grow.
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
I think it depends, if you force it and give
yourself a goal to write x-amount of words a day but force it when the words
are not there; I think it's mentally exhausting. I learned to stop and give
myself a break when warranted.
Do you want each book to stand on its
own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each
book?
I really had to think about the question. In my
first series, Miss Taken Identity, the three books had no choice but connect,
as the stories contained cliffhangers, until they resolve. My new series, The
Wild Roses, does connect the first series to it, as the characters in each of
the four books that will be in this series, were secondary characters in Miss
Taken Identity. Yet, my newest WIP, Never Be The Same doesn’t connect
with the other series intimately, but the location… the Jersey Shore, is the
same. I want my work to be branded. I’m a Jersey Girl, born and raised and
still residing here, so I like having that as a brand and a connection, but I
don’t want to limit myself either.
Did you study writing in school, or
take extra classes to develop your craft? Or, have you learned everything on
your own?
I didn’t go to college. I wrote as an escape, read
books as an escape, for that matter. Now, that I’m writing as an Indie Author,
I do take online workshops, as well as classes through RWA and NJRW. I believe
you take something away each time. Sometimes it’s something small and other
times, it’s an AH HA moment. I think it’s very important. What may seem like
too much time away from writing, actually helps my writing go more smoothly.
Links:
Jane Burrelli – Erotic
Romance Author
Do you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing
project, or do you believe it will detract from your process?
I was an avid reader long before I attempted to put pen to paper and it
helped to develop my style of writing. However, depending on what I am writing
I do worry that I will subconsciously process the plot and try to be mindful
not to weave it into my own work, in which case I stop reading that particular book.
On the other hand, when I get frustrated with a plot not feeling right or the
character's personality is not matched by the action I will go back to some of
my favorite books (again depending on genre) and try to become inspired.
Sometimes I succeed in fixing the scene, other times I just need to accept I
have to scrap the scene.
Do you have a favorite quote about writing? What does it mean to you?
“If, when you wake up in the morning, you can think of nothing but writing . . . then you are a writer.”
―
Once I started writing and knew I could finish a
project, it was like unlocking a door in my mind that can never be shut. I am
always creating; new characters, new plot ideas, on my commute, walking around
town, even at work. Therefore this quote is the closest I've found that best
describes how I feel about writing, that is a part of me and I suspect always will
be.
Did you study writing in school, or take extra classes to develop your
craft? Or, have you learned everything on your own?
I am usually a math and science girl, but I as mentioned I have read A LOT
of stories, to the point I can't remember them all. As a result, I am
self-taught, but it was more a subconscious process, hard to describe and often
undisciplined. On the downside, it also means I am less attuned with the
technical aspects of writing and marketing.
Website/blog - https://www.janeburrelli.com/blog
Amazon Author Page - viewauthor.at/JaneBurrelli
Tamara Thorne & Alistair Cross – Horror/Paranormal
Authors and Podcast Hosts
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
T & A: What…stop reading while we’re writing? Never! Neither of us
would ever get to read another book if we did that!
That said, there are certain things
one or the other of us may avoid reading during certain books. Tamara, for
instance, has to be very careful about reading books by Nelson DeMille that
feature a certain (favorite) character because she subconsciously picks up that
character’s dialogue/thought style, causing her own characters to begin adding,
“Or something like that,” to their own speeches.
One of our friends, a well-known
author of vampire novels, will not read other writers’ vampiric works while
writing on one of her own for fear of being influenced. Neither of us worries
about that; we’re both likely to read in the genre we’re writing in in order to
make sure we don’t accidentally do something that’s already been done.
Do you want each book to stand on
its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between
each book?
T & A: While
we write both series and standalone novels, we have a definite concordance, a
universe of our own creation. We enjoy referencing events, places, and
characters from our other novels - series or standalone, collaborations or
solos - because we like to watch the Thorne & Cross Universe expand. Also,
readers enjoy finding the ‘Easter eggs’ we leave for them almost as much as we
enjoy hiding them.
Thorne's Website: https://www.tamarathorne.com/
Cross' Website: https://www.alistaircross.com/
Skye McNeil – Romance Author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
While working on a current writing
project, I believe it is beneficial to take time out of my schedule to read for
pleasure. I've read several books at the same time I've worked on my own story,
and sometimes, ideas come to me while reading that wouldn't otherwise happen.
In my experience, the more I read, the more I write.
If
you’ve ever had it, or might at some point, how do you cure a case of writer’s
block?
Writer's block happens to everyone.
At least, I'm fairly certain it does. Whenever that dreaded block comes, I go
to my massive romance movie collection and pop in something that will break up
my thoughts. I've found the Hallmark Channel movies also help when it comes to
writer's block. Basically, anything to get my mind off my current writing and
on something else still related to romance helps cure my writer's block.
Mary
L. Schmidt – (pen
names S. Jackson, A. Raymond, M. Schmidt and Gene D. Donley) - Multi-genre
author of personal memoirs, cookbook, art book, and illustrated children’s
books
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
Yes, I do read every day for entertainment and I’m currently reading two
different books in two different genres. Reading doesn’t detract from my
writing abilities at all. I don’t always write a lot each day and some days I
write nothing at all, but I do feel it is important to read every day, if
possible. Having written two memoirs, it is nice to have a break and enjoy
another person’s book. Honestly, reading helps with building the craft of
writing. Some writers think they must write every day, but I am not in that
group. I write children’s illustrated books so that means I jot down ideas, run
them through my head, toss the words around with my husband, and then I develop
essential parts for the story. Each picture book requires one paragraph for
each page of the 24-page illustrated book. Lots of tweaking is done. Once I
have each paragraph finely tuned, I start my illustrations. Usually I design my
cover first and, of course, the book synopsis. I also read and visit sites so
that I have researched material dealing with each book I write. All in all,
reading inspires me to write and build my craft better in a way that is truly
inspiring. I feel that they go hand in hand.
What are common traps for aspiring writers?
Oh - those
pesky traps, they do exist. New writers should not have a family member or
friend who excelled in English as their editor. It just won’t work. Do the
research and find a good editor in your price range that works for you. The
first book a newbie publishes can make or break the growth of the writer and
subsequent books. Vanity publishers who promise a lot but cost the writer
thousands of dollars - this is a huge issue and it isn’t going away. Beware of scam
artists as they are everywhere all over the world. They will call you and send
emails. Don’t fall for this kind of trap. Do your research.
My twitter handle is @MaryLSchmidt
Amazon Author Page is https://www.amazon.com/S-Jackson/e/B013NRRKR2
and my blog is https://whenangelsfly.net
Holly
Bargo – Romance and Fantasy Author
Do you read books for entertainment while
you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract from
your process?
Most authors earn their
living from professions other than writing. Somewhere I read that fewer than 10
percent of authors earn more than $1,000 annually in royalties—certainly not
enough to subsidize any sort of lifestyle involving food, clothing, shelter,
transportation, or healthcare. However, few I’ve encountered also work as a
freelance writer and editor or ghostwrite for clients.
Because I might have
multiple content production projects for clients at any given time, I’ve
learned to compartmentalize so that the storyline of one ghostwriting project
does not bleed into another. Because of this, the question of whether I read
books for entertainment while I’m working on a writing projects can be answered
with an emphatic “yes.”
That ability to compartmentalize
hinders me when I try to make a mental note of a particularly effective phrase
or expression I read elsewhere and want to use for my own work. I always
forget.
What are common traps for aspiring writers?
Because writers—like
lawyers and physicians—practice their
profession, there’s always more to learn, always room for improvement. To that
end, I lurk and participate in various online writers’ forums. Some forums
become exercises in tedium, as new writers default to picking the brains of experienced
writers rather than taking the initiative to conduct their own research. They
pose the same basic questions over and over again.
The top four common
traps for aspiring writers, in my opinion, are: 1) sloppy grammar, 2) passive
voice, 3) failure to edit, 4) lack of realism. Let’s take these in turn.
Correct grammar does
not automatically result in good writing. Good writing only breaks grammatical
conventions when doing so makes sense and enhances the effect or impact of the
written words. Grammar falls under the concept that writing is craft: anyone
who would style himself a professional writer ought to master the craft first.
If a writer breaks grammatical convention with impunity, he shows a disregard
for the language and a sloppiness that testifies to the writer’s laziness.
Passive voice does not
violate any grammatical conventions; however, it drones. It bores. It tells. As
I explained to one client, “showing” does not mean including a lot of
expository description, which is usually presented as a series of declarative
statements. Use active voice. It’s stronger. Think of it this way: active voice
pulls the reader through the story; passive voice pushes. Have you ever tried
to push a rope?
Many new authors (and
some not so new) fail to complete the most basic step of editing. Every draft needs an editor. No ifs, ands, or buts
about it. Competent, professional editing costs money, oftentimes a lot of
money. Analytic skill and experience don’t come cheaply. Self-editing is always
advised, but it’s not sufficient. An objective third party who’s not afraid to
be candid serves the author’s and the book’s best interests.
Finally, even the most
out-of-this-world fantasy or science fiction story requires realistic elements
that ground the reader. That means doing one’s research. Whether the problem
lies in anachronisms or other details, readers will identify them and leave
scathing reviews pointing out those errors. In short, if a reader can trust the
author with the small, easily verified details, then he’ll follow the author
into the most absurd flights of fancy. Sweat the details: they matter.
Every word counts.
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Holly-Bargo/e/B00JRK6VGQ
Lynn
Chantale – Multicultural Romance Author
Do you read books for entertainment while
you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract from
your process?
Reading is fundamental. If I don’t read,
it’s like not breathing. I often will read while I’m writing. I write
contemporary romance, but love to read historical romances, suspense/thrillers,
or other romantic suspense stories. Reading is as much a part of me as writing.
My day doesn’t flow right unless I’m able to read— at least for a few minutes a
day.
Does
writing energize or exhaust you?
It really depends on the scene at hand. If
it is an emotional scene, capturing the emotions will exhaust me. However, if
I’m writing a fight scene or something with a lot of tension I stay pretty
revved.
Author Links:
Autumn Bardot – historical fiction & historical erotica author
Do you read books for
entertainment while you’re working on a writing project or do you believe it
will detract from the process?
My career gets in the
way of full time author-ing (LOL), so when I get home every precious minute is
spent writing. Until I hit The Wall. At around 9pm my creative brain—up since
5am—just kind of melts into blah. Forget writing a first draft or even revising
sentences! When that happens, I grab a paperback. My eyes, by then, are tired
from looking at a computer screen. I’ll read anything but a novel related to my
current project. In fact, I try to read something outside my genre. I like
action/adventure and thrillers but don’t write them. There’s a lot to learn
from reading other genres. For example, I re-read some of my favorite Agatha
Christie who-dunnits and marveled at how in just a few words, she conveyed
so much about a character. Lesson learned, Dame Agatha!
What kind of research do
you do, and how long do you spend researching a book project?
I love researching. The
more I do, the more the plot and characters and conflicts unfold. Internet
research is a start and good for some things, but I prefer going to the primary
source. I’ll hunt down the expert and buy their book, often out-of-print, and a
bit on the pricy side. That book gets read several times, written in,
highlighted, and dog-eared. (Try not to cringe, the books are well-loved.) I
make charts and lists as I read.
Several books were
purchased for The Impaler’s Wife, a 1000-pg reference to clothing
through the ages, an out-of-print primary source, and several on medieval life.
(What can I say, I love books!) One book bought for Dragon Lady (summer
2019) had more information in the footnotes than all the stuff on the internet!
There was one exception. After two months of typing in various key words, I
finally found a photocopied journal of the English sailor held captive by Zheng
Yi Sao, the female pirate in Dragon Lady. I was ecstatic. For The
Emperor’s Assassin (fall 2019) I bought several reference books on toxic
plants, Rome, and Roman Emperors. For Confessions of a Sheba Queen (Jan
2020, Cleis Press) I purchased books about ancient Saba.
For me, diligent
research is the name of the research game.
I research each
historical fiction for about a month and keep researching as the need arises.
One of my pet peeves about reading historical fiction is when the author
provides no detail. What kind of tree did the character sit under? What food
did they eat? I want to see, hear, smell, feel, and taste the story. For the
erotic short stories, Legends of Lust, I spend two days researching
each legend and cross-referenced it before writing a single word. And then I
still had to research to add detail concerning indigenous species, geography,
clothing, et cetera.
Did you study writing in
school or take extra classes to develop your craft? Or have you learned on your
own?
I have a degree in
English literature and teach literary analysis and writing in a very rigorous
worldwide program. Teaching literary analysis most definitely sharpened my
skills! The power and purpose of themes, motifs, symbols, syntax, punctuation,
foreshadowing, etc —you know all that author stuff (aka, authorial
techniques).
What it did not teach me
was how to write cleanly. How to use less words to say more. How to pace. How
to make each sentence sing. That I learned on my own. Knowing something and
doing it successfully are miles apart. I tell new writers that they really
need to dissect their favorite books word by word, sentence by sentence. I
over-wrote in the beginning. Used too many superfluous words. Now I know
what to trim. And, of course, having a professional editor's feedback is a big
boost. I get rid of all my -ings now.
Confession! After two semesters of
an MFA program, I dropped out. I had hoped for some intensive advice, but
received only the very vaguest of suggestions. My agent at the time gave
me better advice. Conflict emotion conflict emotion. Emotion emotion emotion!
Beverley Bateman – romantic suspense author and blogger
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
Unless
I’m judging a contest I don’t read books in my writing genre for entertainment.
I feel it could affect the way I’m writing, interfere with my plotting, the
characters or the process. I can read other genres or non-fiction while working
on my WIP.
Do
you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of
work with connections between each book?
It’s
a combination of both. I want each book to stand on its own and tie up most of
the loose ends. But, I want the same main characters, the general overall plot
and a strand of plot to connect the books together, and hopefully encourage a
reader to want to read all the books in that series.
Laura Tolomei – Erotic Romance with an Edge
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
No, they detract from my writing process. When I'm
writing, I'm so taken with what I'm creating that I can't stay focused on any
other story. I've gotta be immersed in my world, which guarantees the erotic
earthquake I'm famous for, the erotic romance with an edge you find in my
Virtus Saga, ReScue and Soulmate Series, not to mention the horror and
historical novels.
Does
writing energize or exhaust you?
It definitely energizes me! No doubt about it! When
I'm writing, I get on such a roll that I could keep at it for an entire night
without even getting tired. And without needing any coffee either. :-)
Do
you have a favorite quote about writing? What does it mean to you?
I have a favorite quote about life that applies also
to writing:
"However you lived your life, you are the key
to change your future." (Laura Tolomei)
I wrote this in Re-Scue,
Book 1 of the ReScue Series, and applied to writing it means that you can start
doing it any time if you ever wanted to do it. It means that you're never too
old to start anything, writing included. And this is a reminder to myself since
I've loved writing from age 10, but didn't dare go professional until I was 40.
Website: https://www.lallagatta.com
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLauraTolomei
Nancy
Christie – award-winning multi-genre author (fiction and
non-fiction) and workshop presenter
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
I do read for
entertainment but not in the same subject area or genre that I’m currently
working on. For example, when I am writing short stories, I stay away from
other short fiction—in part because I don’t want to be intimidated by the work
of others! Right now I’m finishing my second book on writing (Rut-Busting Book for Authors), with
plans to start revisions on a novel (women’s fiction) once this one has been
turned in. So I can read similar novels now, but once I start revising my own,
I’ll put them away. This way I can focus on the work at hand without comparing
my writing to those in the same category.
Do
you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of
work with connections between each book?
In the ideal author
world, all my books would be in the
same category and genre. That way, my fan base would grow exponentially since
one book would generate a following for the next. But, as I said, that would be
in the ideal author world.
Unfortunately, I live
in the real world, which means I have
a mixed bag in terms of my book: my first book (The Gifts of Change) was inspirational/motivational, followed by Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories
(literary short fiction) and then Rut-Busting
Book for Writers (non-fiction), with two more coming down the pike: Rut-Busting Book for Authors (non-fiction)
and Peripheral Visions and Other Stories
(literary short fiction).
So I’m a bit of a split
personality when it comes to my author persona, which makes building a
following and author identity much
harder. That being said, my plan once the next writing book is done is to go
back to fiction—both short stories and hopefully some novels—since that would
be the area in which I would want to expand my body of work.
www.nancychristie.com [website]
https://www.amazon.com/author/nancychristie
[Amazon author page]
Kat
Schuessler – Romantic Suspense Author
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
I always read books. I just make sure to read
erotica when I'm writing so I can keep my head “in the game”.
What
kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching a book
project?
I try to only research things that will directly
affect the plot, but I sometimes get carried away and research little things,
such as the specific layout or hiring procedures of a business.
Does
writing energize or exhaust you?
It really depends on the scene. If it's a
tear-jerking scene, it exhausts me because it can emotionally wear me out, but
if it's an erotic or fight scene, I feel exhilarated and energized.
Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/KatSchuesslerBooks/
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Kat-Schuessler/e/B00WTCQPZQ/
Viviana MacKade – writer of romance
suspense and fantasy, and blogger
Do you read books for
entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it
will detract from your process?
I
do read. I can’t not.
Not
just for the sheer pleasure reading gives me (you don’t become a novelist for
money, so you have to love a well-narrated story in the first place), but for
making me a better writer.
I
can’t help but analyze the story I’m reading. When I find something I like (a
smooth transition, a description, the explanation of a character’s behavior
that’s weaved naturally into the story) I take a note like I would for a class.
Same
thing when I find something I don’t like. I remember the “mistake” the author
made, and I try not to do the same in my book.
So
yes, I read.
Not
everything, though.
I
don’t touch any of my favorite authors.
I
look up to their writing, their style, so much, I’m afraid their voice could
trickle into mine. You know, like when you’re a kid and try to simulate your
superhero catchphrases and voice, or her/his mannerisms. Yeah, not cool.
Also,
I like to keep their stories as a price form when I’m done with a story. My
reward for being a good girl and finishing my story is reading one (or two) of
theirs.
What do you want to accomplish with your writing?
This is a
question dear to my heart.
The answer
is, and it’s always been: nothing.
Nothing at
all.
I’m a
strong believer that the world right now needs:
- sweet
boys that will turn into smart, strong, and sweet men (my boy is on the sweet
side, and I’m trying to raise him to be a man with an open heart, a quick
brain, and unafraid of being whoever he is. I’m doing my part here.).
- girls
strong enough to grow up into women, and not men with breasts (a woman is not
strong when she acts like a man, and I’m talking about the masculine warrior
stereotype. She certainly has the right to decide what she wants to do, to be,
and be rewarded as much as a man would for her trouble. But doing what a man
does doesn’t equal being strong, or better. You know what? Why don’t we leave
alone the entire issue of what women do better, or what men do better? For
years it’s been a competition. We should start to see it for what it can be: a
collaboration, where men and women bring something different and equally useful
on the table based on who they are, not their genre).
- a global
chill
- more
laughter
With my
books, the last two points are the whole point. I don’t want to teach. I surely
don’t want to preach. I don’t want to be smart or profound. I just want to
write the story banging in my head, pleading to be released. My hope is that
people will read it and forget troubles and ugliness for a while. That’s it. If
my stories can do that, then I’ve accomplished what I want from my writing.
The best way to
know me is through my website (and the books I host): http://www.viviana-mackade.blog/
Sherry Soule – author of thrilling paranormal
romance and urban fantasy reads
Do you read books for entertainment while you’re
working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract from your
process?
Yes,
I read daily, seven days a week.
I
feel as if I can’t be a good storyteller without being an avid reader, too.
And
no, it doesn’t detract me, but other books do often inspire me. When I’m
writing a new genre, I read everything I can get my hands on to study the
tropes, the character ARCs, et cetera, so that my own book will meet reader
expectations.
What kind of
research do you do, and how long do you spend researching a book project?
Each
story or series is different, but I mainly do online research and buy books on
any subject that I need to study.
My
current work-in-progress, Shadow Magic,
is about a necromancer who attends a magical college to search for her missing
sister. I realized that just diving into my story and trying to write it
without much world-building was causing some major plot holes and character
development issues. I needed a better understanding of my world and its
history, as well as my character’s supernatural abilities—mainly my heroine’s
necromancy powers.
So I did a lot
of research and wrote out an exhaustive lexicon regarding necromancy. It took
me several days and some fictional creativity to compose a list of the powers
and magic used by a necromancer. (I might end up including it as a glossary in
the actual book.)
Then
I created a world-building and character profile document, which helped me
immensely to plot the story. The fun part about developing a fictional, magical
world is that you have the freedom to create a vivid and detailed history for
your characters. Plus, with a supernatural-type story, it is so important to
fully comprehend each character’s powers and limitations, and any consequences
from using those abilities.
But creating a
magical college setting was tougher than I expected. Not to mention, inventing
a believable paranormal population. But I think it’s much easier to write in a
world that the author knows intimately.
Then there is
the tough part on top of all that to include a mystery plot with clues,
suspects, and a red herring. I’m still trying to work out the details for the
mystery and how the amateur sleuth solves the crime. So I have been studying
guidebooks that I bought on mystery writing that are helping me to further
develop my story. So yeah, I do a lot research.
Sally Brandle – Clean Romantic Suspense Author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
I’ve been a psycho reader since I
first walked the steps into Butman-Fish Public Library as a kindergartener
holding my mom’s hand. Now I juggle my top choices with fulfilling promises to
comment on upcoming books of critique partners. If a fictional book I’ve chosen
opens with too many characters or grammar issues, I won’t waste my precious
reading time.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying
to build a body of work with connections between each book?
My first series, Love Thrives in
Emma Springs, contains recurring characters from a picturesque Montana
community. I write the stories to stand alone, but my personal recommendation
would be to start with The Hitman’s Mistake. The second series I’m
working on, Double Vision—Good Science in Bad Hands, has a villain who tries
different methods to destroy America in each book. Disturbing Departure
opens that science fact-tion romantic suspense series, as yet unpublished.
What do you want to accomplish with your writing?
I hope to encourage friendship and
loyalty in my stories, and on the safety side, encourage people to trust their
instincts. Reading Gavin de Becker’s non-fiction book, The Gift of Fear,
opened my eyes on how our brain creates red flags.
http://www.sallybrandle.com/
https://www.amazon.com/Sally-Brandle/e/B07DNGP1N7
Bella
Jeanisse – Author of Adult Rockstar Romance and More
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
It
depends on the time of day. It can get my mind going in the morning, yet by the
end of the night, I’m beyond tired.
What are common traps for aspiring writers?
Not
using beta readers or doing enough research.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are
you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
Almost
everything I write lately is inspired by another book of mine, so I am building
multiple worlds where books and series connect with each other.
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you
spend researching a book project?
Most
of my research is done on the internet. I also ask questions in my fan group
about places I’ve never been or occupations I’ve not held. It can take minutes,
hours or even days to complete research, but I tend to do it as I write, so
it’s hard to pinpoint it.
What is the most difficult part of your artistic
process?
Transitioning
from scene to scene can drive me batty. Yet, for some books, the hardest part
is ending at the right moment with things wrapped up.
If you’ve ever had it, or might at some point, how
do you cure a case of writer’s block?
I
get it here and there. My typical fix is to work on something else, write
another book, edit something I’ve completed or want to revamp, or just plan out
chapters.
What inspired you to write? or What inspired your
latest work?
It
began as therapy when I was a teenager and I enjoyed it so much, I couldn’t
stop. My current WIP is book 3 in a series. A friend I met through my books was
inspired it. Kathy and I were talking about book 2 and she told me something I
hadn’t thought of and it just fit perfectly. That, of course, blew up into a
book!
What do you want to accomplish with your writing?
I
want to give people a world to get lost in.
If you're a published author, what has changed in
the book industry? For example, is it harder to get a break and get readers? Has the
atmosphere in the writing world changed?
Things
have changed a lot in the past 7 years. The market has been flooded with books,
which makes it harder to get readers’ attention. Major changes on multiple
sites has also made visibility difficult. More readers expect free books, which
also hurts our bottom line.
How do you cope with bad reviews?
If
it contains constructive criticism, I use it to improve my writing. If it is
clearly malicious, I may report it. But most of the time, I just roll my eyes
and move on.
Did you study writing in school, or take extra
classes to develop your craft? Or, have you learned everything on your own?
I
learned most by trial and error on my own.
Isobelle Cate – Romance Author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
Yes, I do! Sometimes when my mojo decides to take a
vacay and leaves me hanging, I resort to reading books from authors I love. It
doesn't detract from the process at all and, in fact, helps with it. I
tend to read the book and analyze the author's way of writing at the same time.
It helps me hone my craft and makes me see where I can improve.
Do you want each book to stand on its
own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each
book?
I was just thinking about it this afternoon. Most,
if not all, of my books can be read as a standalone in that there are only two
main characters for each book, but I put a lead to the next book at the end. But
lately as the plot becomes more complicated, the later books cannot be read as
a standalone.
What do you want to accomplish with your
writing?
I want to be able to reach as wide an audience as I
possibly can and to entertain readers around the globe.
McKenna
Dean
– paranormal romance
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
Since I’m almost always
working on a writing project, to not read during the process would mean never
reading. I couldn’t imagine not reading any more than I could imagine not
eating or not breathing! That may sound like hyperbole, but I’ve been reading
or was read to as long as I can remember. My mom encouraged reading in our
family, and we all looked forward to the bi-monthly trip to the library, where
we’d check out as many as sixty books for a two week period.
Today, reading is what
gets me through a tough day at work, allows me to put the frustrations and
anxieties of being an adult aside for a few hours, and just take me out of
myself and my concerns for a while. It’s the greatest gift we as writers can
give readers, and that’s why I write.
But…I do have to be
careful what I read while I’m working on a project. I don’t want to subconsciously
absorb what I’m reading and have it slip into my own work. So I tend not to
read in the same genre I’m working on. If I’m writing a historical set in the
1950s, I’ll read historicals set in the 1800s. I write mostly paranormal
romance, so until I type the words “The End” and send my draft off to the
editor, I’ll stick to cozy mysteries and military space opera. I’ll indulge my
love for my own genre by binge-reading about panther shifters in that narrow
window between projects. It seems to work for me so far!
If you’ve ever had it, or might at some
point, how do you cure a case of writer’s block?
I think to cure writer’s
block, you have to understand the root cause. Sometimes the answer is to power
through. Or skip ahead to write the scene you can clearly see, and come back to
the sticky scene later. Sometimes the answer is to take a break from writing
and do something else creative for a change, like paint, or make crafts. But
you don’t know which method to choose if you don’t understand why you’re blocked.
If you’re blocked because
your creative well has run dry, powering through probably isn’t the answer.
Doing something else for a while may help. If you’re between projects, having
just come off a major effort, or are waiting to hear about a publishing
contract, be kind to yourself. Farmers know if you don’t let a field rest
between harvests, the soil will become depleted of nutrients and the next
crop won’t thrive. If you’re stuck on a particular scene, you’re probably
trying to make your characters do something that doesn’t make sense to the
story. Skip around or muscle through.
If the words won’t come at
all, give yourself a few days off and do something mindless but physical. I
love taking the dogs for long rambling walks. Frequently I have a ‘eureka’
moment during these strolls, and come back knowing how to solve my problem.
How do you cope with bad reviews?
I tend not to read reviews
as a whole. Sure, I check out my reviews when I release a new story, eagerly
looking for signs the book was well-received and that people like it, but after
those first couple of reviews, I rarely go back and check for more. Reviews are
rarely written with the author in mind. It’s someone sharing their opinion of a
story they loved, hated, or felt indifferent toward. While there can be great
value in the nature of your reviews (if everyone loves or hates the same thing,
you should pay attention to that) In general, the truly nasty review, while it
may sting, usually has one of two goals. Either the poster wishes to destroy
you so utterly that you give up writing altogether or they are playing to an
audience who is there for the cutting remarks and nasty gifs. Either way, they
have no power over me. I’m not going to stop writing no matter what. And I’m not
the audience the nasty reviewer is seeking to appease. In some ways, the ugly
reviews are easier to ignore. Their purpose is to harm. It’s the “meh’ reviews
that bother me more. They mean I failed to connect with the reader on some
level, and I need to figure out how to do things better the next time out.
Website: http://mckennadeanromance.com/
Amazon page (international link): https://geni.us/McKennaDean
Devika Fernando – Sweet
and Sensual Contemporary Romance Author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
I definitely read in my free time,
no matter where in the writing process I might be. Reading is my biggest hobby,
and by focusing on someone else's words and getting lost in a story, I can stop
dwelling on my writing. I even read the same genre, it doesn't distract me.
What kind of research do you do, and
how long do you spend researching a book project?
I often write 'international' or
'multicultural' romance, and that involves researching a setting. For example,
my latest royal romance, The Indian Prince's Scandalous Bride, is set
in a fictitious city in India's state Rajasthan. I do all my research online.
Basics before writing so I have something to work with and center my idea on.
Then I read articles, watch videos, search for images, sometimes incorporate
travel accounts from real tourists who've seen the sights of a setting. It's
such fun, though sometimes a detail needs to be verified with someone who
actually lives in that country or city.
Debbie De Louise – Mysteries and
More
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
Although I read less when I'm writing, I still
read for entertainment. As a librarian, I write staff picks for our library
and usually review a book a month. I'm also responsible for ordering the
fiction and mystery books for our collection, so I need to be familiar with
those books. I've been trying to read and review more debut and Indie
authors.
Do
you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of
work with connections between each book?
Each book of my Cobble Cove mystery series can
stand alone because I add backstory from the previous books, although many
readers prefer to start from the beginning of the series to become familiar
with the characters. I also write standalone novels and short stories. Most
of them are mysteries, but I also enjoy dabbling in other genres from time to
time.
Website/blog/newsletter sign up: https://debbiedelouise.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Debbie-De-Louise/e/B0144ZGXPW/
Leigh
Podgorski – Multi-genre Author
Do you read books for
entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it
will detract from your process?
This
is such an excellent question because it calls into query the entire
relationship between writers and reading. I have heard many writers say they do
not read – especially not while they are in the midst of working on their own
project. Their reasons vary, but the most common are: they fear they will be
swayed by the writer’s style and even if subconsciously, begin to incorporate that
style into their own project; they fear they will be intimidated by comparison;
writing is hard work, and they fear they will too easily be swept up in the
enjoyment of the book and it will then be too difficult to return to the grind
of doing their own work.
Let’s
look at these fears one by one. The fear of being so influenced by another
writer’s style that you will be unable to retain your own. As a new writer just
beginning your journey, how do you find your style? Your personal way of
presenting your words, your story, your brand? Sure, there are numerous classes
you can take, groups you can join, degrees you can earn. But what is the bottom
line, the thing you must do? Write. You must go through the fire and write.
And
what is one fool-proof way you can discover greatness in writing? Read. Read
the great writers. Read Twain, Bronte, Fitzgerald, Margaret Atwood, Steinbeck,
or whoever is tracking as a best-selling author right now. How do they handle
that tricky transition? How does Christie so perfectly plot murder? How does
Poe manage to make our skin crawl so unforgettably? What is so funny about Mark
Twain after all these decades? These are your master teachers and your tools.
You might even give yourself an exercise to imitate some of these greats’
style. Then re-write the piece in your own style. It is only by writing and
reading that you will find your style. Once you do, no one can take it from
you.
Will
you be intimated by these greats? Probably. That’s why they are great. But
let’s turn this on its head. What’s the other side of that coin? Inspiration.
Who has not been inspired by Shakespeare? His turn of a phrase. His economy of
language. Christie was once considered the Queen of Mystery. Over time, her
star has diminished. Many now scoff at her stuffy parlor mysteries so easy to
peg. She has been surpassed, it has been said, by many others such as Patricia
Highsmith, P.D.James, and Ngaio Marsh. I’ll bet all of them grew up reading
Agatha Christie. I know I did. Reading is
inspiring. And sometimes it works the other way. How many times have you
picked up a book and thought, I can do
better than that. That is your clarion call, and books are your guide.
Ah….now
to the crux of the issue, perhaps. Writing is hard work. We can get lost in our
world of books. That’s easy. The best definition of writing I ever heard was:
Writing is applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair. Working on
a specific project is very hard. The initial phases are fun—maybe even more fun
and care-free than reading. Usually, there is such a creative high, you feel
like you are flying, you are walking amongst the clouds and can do anything.
But then there comes the nitty-gritty: it might be the second part of the
novel, where you have to nail down facts; it might be all that advanced PR and
you hate marketing; you might have bumped into a flaw and realize you have
stringent re-writes that must be done before you can continue. Reach for that
brand- new fantasy album and fly-a-way! Yes, by all means, do. Or walk your
cute pooch. Or call a friend. And when that’s done, go to your desk, or set
your lap- top upon your lap and tell yourself: I’ve hit a snag. So, today, I only need to write for one hour. And
honor that. Even if all you write is jibberish. Once you apply the seat of the
pants, I bet you will write for far more than one hour. I always do. Then with
well-earned glee, I sink into that wondrous book.
So,
does reading distract from your/my project? Only in the most healing way. For
me, reading is an inspiration, a time-out, a reward. Reading is the balance to
my hard work. Writing is self-discipline. You must be able to divide up your
work day into sections where you allow yourself to write, write, write. Write
through self-doubt, and “I just don’t feel like it.” And while you’re writing,
read. Yes, read to reward yourself, for entertainment, to escape. But also,
read to inspire yourself, to learn, to grow. Writing and reading go hand in
hand. And someday, or even today, some other struggling author may be taking a
break right now—with your book in her hands.
What inspired
your latest work?
My latest project is a novella Child of the Western Frontier that is included in the anthology Tales From Big Country.
I find this quite an interesting tale. My life as a writer
has not been an easy path. I think this is true for most Independent Authors.
The flood gates opened for us with self-publishing, which has been a blessing.
But along with that has come millions of books that we are in competition with,
and the field and competition is overwhelming.
I am a member of many writers’ groups online and off and
hear my fellow authors state so many times how near to giving up they are. I,
too, have been so very close to hanging up my spurs.
One time was on January 1, 2017. I was done. Then I opened
my email. Inside was a letter from Solstice Publishing. They had accepted my
Western Contemporary Romance, Western
Song for publication.
Western Song went on to receive the Readers’ Favorite Bronze Award for
Western Literature in 2018. A few months ago, a well- known Western writer
named Kwen D. Griffeth contacted me out of the big blue sky and presented the
Tales anthology project. He found me through the Readers’ Favorite award, which
he had won himself a few years back.
I was walking on clouds! Okay, then reality set in. I
needed 3,000 words in one week, and at least 30,000 words by May 15th,
less than three months.
Yikes!!!
Everything else became second place. It was all about the
book.
I was starting from zero. Nada. Nothing.
So, I went into a brown study and thought.
I lost my mother due to cancer when I was seventeen years
old. That death blew a hole in our tightly knit family. My father couldn’t
handle her death, and basically, I was left alone with my sadness and grief.
A few years later, still grieving, I received a phone call
from a college roommate asking if I wanted to join her in Old Snowmass,
Colorado.
I spent several years in that blessed splendid land. Those
mountains spoke so deeply to me, that I have written a trilogy of plays based
there that was then adapted to a novel and a screenplay.
But those “Shining Mountains,” as the Ute Indians call
them, were not done with me yet. When Wid Bastion and Kwen Griffeth called on
me to join their anthology and I withdrew into a brown study, when I came out,
I knew what to write about. Once again, I would take myself back to that
gorgeous country, The Roaring Fork Valley, and the time I spent there grieving
and recovering from my mother’s shocking death.
That was my starting point. Authors are often asked—where
do your stories come from? Everywhere. A piece of dialogue overheard. A person
glimpsed that grows into a character. A place. The Roaring Fork Valley was that
place. But as I contemplated the story, my main character began to grow. She
was not me. She was herself: Rayne
Falken and she had her own story to tell.
And tell it she would, if I would only listen. And so, I
did. I listened to Rayne, and to Zander Quinn and to Matthias Stalking Grey
Wolf, and to Rayne’s father John Ray, and to their past and to their dreams of
the future.
I enjoyed the experience so much, that I have decided to
make another trilogy out of this story. I just can’t quit those Shining
Mountains, or the myriad characters who inhabit them.
AMAZON PAGE: https://www.amazon.com/Leigh-Podgorski/e/B005P57NEQ
Kayelle
Allen
– Author of the Bringer of Chaos Series
Do you read books for entertainment while you’re
working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract from your
process?
I read constantly, both for
entertainment and to learn. I believe that an author who does not read is 1)
denying herself the same pleasure she wants her readers to experience and 2)
missing out on what's going on in market. How can you write with a fresh
approach if you don't even know what's happening? Reading is research, study,
and entertainment all in one.
Does
writing energize or exhaust you?
Writing energizes me. I have to stop
myself from sitting too long by setting alarms. At the end of the day, because
I've spent so much time working, I'm tired in a different way than if I had
done physical work.
Did
you study writing in school, or take extra classes to develop your craft? Or,
have you learned everything on your own?
I took formal classes, but I am
mostly self-taught. I have a big library of books about writing and I use them.
In the last year, I've probably read a dozen or more books on the topic, plus
more blog posts than I can count. Recently, I've been studying the Save the Cat
format and even bought the software. It's a great tool for structuring a story
and provides a language to use when discussing it. My writer friends who are
studying it also know exactly what part of a story I'm writing if I say I wrote
the break into two, or the dark night of the soul. I am rarely without a book
on the topic of writing. In addition, I am in two critique groups and we often
discuss and share books about writing.
Jane
Riddell – Writer
of contemporary accessible literary fiction novels and humorous novellas
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
Yes, I do.
Reading never distracts me - I
usually only read books when I’m in bed - and often is helpful as it is a
chance to study how other authors write.
If I like their style, I can then learn how to adopt it in my own
work. If there are things about the
writing that I don’t like, it acts as a reminder of how not to do things -
including too much backstory; go off at a tangent, on-the-nose dialogue, over use
of metaphor and simile – the list is endless!
Did you study
writing in school, or take extra classes to develop your craft? Or, have you
learned everything on your own?
I did a
Masters in Creative Writing which taught me a bit, but unfortunately was too
based on literary theory to be as helpful as I’d hoped. What has helped is reading books on the craft
of writing, working with a mentor and receiving feedback from fellow writers.
If
you’ve ever had it, or might at some point, how do you cure a case of writer’s
block?
When I experienced writer’s block, I
spent months reading technical books on writing and making copious notes. I also blogged a lot at this time. So although I wasn’t progressing with my WIP,
I was still doing some writing and learning more about the craft. What helped get me out of it, I think, was
working with a mentor for a year. Having someone engage so thoroughly with my
work helped me finish writing the book. It didn’t happen immediately… I was lucky enough to work with someone who
charged an affordable (and unrealistically low) rate.
Sometimes writer’s block can be
caused by other things going on in a writer’s life, which is unavoidable. With
me, it was because my aunt had suffered a bad stroke and I’d also had a
difficult experience when studying for my Masters (ironically). When life is
difficult, the writer might need to take a break until she/he has the energy to
continue writing.
Writer’s block may also happen if a
writer isn’t happy with the WIP, or parts of it. In this case, it’s important to weed out
parts that don’t work, painful as this might be, and rewrite.
Perceived wisdom is to make yourself write
each day, even if it’s just for half an hour. The enthusiasm may then return.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaneRiddell
Giulietta
M. Spudich – Children's author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
It depends where I am in the
process. If I am brainstorming and allowing my characters and story to evolve
reflectively, in 'creation phase', I don't read fiction novels. But if I'm
editing and I have long periods between sessions, I read loads of fiction. My
mind normally tells me if it wants input or not- so I don't have to make the
choice in a conscious way- I either want to read someone else's story or live
with my own.
Do you have a favorite quote about
writing? What does it mean to you?
“The world always seems brighter
when you've just made something that wasn't there before.” -Neil Gaiman
It brings to my mind the inspiring
part of creating a character or scene or story, and making the world a little
bit fuller.
Cindy
Tomamichel – Multi-genre author – escape the everyday
Do you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing
project, or do you believe it will detract from your process?
I do NaNoWriMo (National Write a Novel in November)
every year, and the focus I need to produce 50,000 words in a month means I
don’t read during November – mid December. The rest of the time I read to
refresh myself, and to get some distance
from my own characters. And, of course, because books are awesome!
What are common traps for aspiring
writers?
Social media is an enormous time-suck. There is also a tendency for new
writers to talk more about their writing than actually write. Writers write!
Do you have a favorite quote about
writing? What does it mean to you?
“I
have been successful probably because I have always realized that I knew
nothing about writing and have merely tried to tell an interesting story
entertainingly.” - Edgar Rice Burroughs
This means a lot to me as I grew up reading his
Tarzan books, and try to make sure my books are full of action. It also forces
me not to be too precious about a book, which is after all, something I make up
to entertain people.
D.E. Haggerty
– Writer, Blogger, Book Addict
Do you read books for entertainment while you’re working
on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract from your process?
I can’t live without reading. Like, seriously. Cannot
live without it. So, I’m always reading. But I have recently found that I can’t
read rom coms when I’m working on one, as I start changing my character’s sense
of humor to match whatever I’m reading. Yikes!
Mark H. Newhouse – multi-award
winning author of children's and adult books and stories
Do you read books for entertainment while
you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract from
your process?
I love reading, but find it difficult to find
time when I'm in the heart of a writing project. I think all writers need to be
readers to master our art and see what others are doing.
What
inspired you to write? or What inspired your latest work?
My latest novel, The Devil's Bookkeepers, was
inspired when I discovered a copy of the chronicle of the Holocaust ghetto my
parents were among the few to survive. I wrote this suspenseful novel as a
tribute to them and everyone who experiences hate and genocide, past, present
and future.
What do
you want to accomplish with your writing?
When I write my award-winning humorous
mysteries, Welcome to Monstrovia, The Case of the Disastrous Dragon, and The Case of the Crazy Chickenscratches,
I want children to see underdog heroes who use their intelligence, courage and
resourcefulness, to solve problems rather than violence and magic. I want them
to laugh as they learn about the law and solve mysteries that can only happen
in Monstrovia.
www.newhousecreativegroup.com
Amazon author Page amazon.com/author/markhnewhouse
Sue
Raymond/Lady Laindora – Multi-genre Author
Do you read books
for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe
it will detract from your process?
Yes, it helps my brain to relax so
it doesn't have a brain freeze in the middle of the story.
What
kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching a book
project?
Depending on the genre the research
can be as short as a few hours to several weeks of intense research for
accuracy to keep the story believable. It can be a terrible distraction to a
reader if the story is riddled, full of inaccuracy.
What
is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
The most difficult part of my
artistic process is being sidetracked by normal every day chores.
Links:
Chris
Karlsen – International Bestselling Author
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a project, or do you
believe it will detract from your process?
I do read books for entertainment and to relax my
mind. I do a lot of research for my stories. My past series have involved
nautical archaeology or in the case of historical romance, the medieval period.
My current series and the book I am working on, which is number four, is set in
Victorian England. The intense research required can be daunting. I need to be
able to step away and mentally go to another place.
I’ll relax with a historical that is totally
different than the history in my stories. For example, I love Bernard Cornwell’s
The Saxon Tales. The protagonist is a Saxon raised by Danes in the ninth
century. They’re gritty with a lot of battles and politics of the time. Or I
can dive into the modern world with Michael Connolly and Joe Wambaugh’s cop
stories.
I can also read other books in my genres without
fear of distraction. When I am writing a new story, I am deep into those
characters and that world. I think because of that focus, it is easy for me to
keep separate the world of my books for entertainment and my current work.
Do
you want each book to stand on its own, or are trying to build a body of work
with connections between each book?
I want both. I write each story as a standalone with
the reader who hasn’t read the others in the series in mind. I never want the
reader to feel lost. That said, I really enjoy building my protagonist’s world.
I enjoy filling that world with a variety of people. In almost all of the
stories, I find at least one support character if not more that I really like.
I know when I am writing them in the current story I will be giving them their
own book.
I personally like to read series books. When I like
a series, I am invested in the people and want to follow them. I like seeing
what happens to them at various points in the setting. I have books like that
or in the case of some of my stories I will take the same protagonist through
different troubling scenarios.
Most of my writer friends gear their stories to
fit the series format. Other friends, mainly those who write short stories for
anthologies, concentrate on standalone books. I think there’s an advantage to
writing for a series. With my readers I have characters they want to see again.
Website: https://chriskarlsen.com/
Dana Littlejohn – Romance Author
Do you read
books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or do you
believe it will detract from your process?
Yes, I
continue to read even while I'm writing. I read a completely different genre or
graphic novels to keep me focused on what I'm writing.
Does writing energize
or exhaust you?
Writing
totally energizes me. I'm always pumped up after writing. It takes me a while
to disconnect from the scene/characters and return to the outside world.
What kind of research
do you do, and how long do you spend researching a book project?
My research
has always been compiled of reading about "it", talking to folks that
have actually done "it" and, if at all possible, doing it myself to
get hands on knowledge. The length depends on how long it takes me to get
comfortable with the subject.
Nancy
Wood –
Mystery Author
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
Absolutely. When I'm writing, I read
and read and read in my genre, which is mysteries. I find that reading
mysteries brings an added dimension to my writing. I'm always curious about how
other authors set up clues and red herrings and plot twists. There is nothing
like a cleverly plotted book with a strong heroine for inspiration! If I'm
stuck, the entertainment factor of a good mystery will completely pull me out
of my blocked spot.
Do
you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of
work with connections between each book?
My mysteries are a series. That
said, it was five years between Books 1 and 2 in the series, and I found that I
had to do a lot of backstory in the second book in order to connect it with the
first book. But, I also had to make sure the second book could stand on
its own as well. It was a delicate balance of filling in details without giving
away the entire plot of the first book! I am working on the third book now and
hope to finish it sooner, rather than later, so there is more continuity.
Kaitlynzq – Adult Literary Fiction, Poetry, Romance
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
There are so many wonderful,
talented authors, and I save reading their work when I’m not writing, which
these days, I’m always writing in some ways… one of my stories in progress, or
in ways to continue to promote my published books.
What inspired your latest work?
My inspirations come from the
interior spaces within my heart, and within other people, moments by moments,
and within precious natural elements like the layers inside of a tree.
For my first series, Lovecontu Song de Light Lovecontu, a continual prompt from my heart told me to begin, and the
stories revealed themselves the more I wrote. One emotion filled layer after
another. Instead of a chronological set, the books included in the series are
inter-connected, meaning interior connected.
With interior poetic stanzas hinted
at in Legend of Song de Light that bloom into full poems in Ancient Script
of Lovecontu to then step within notes of love within Legend
of Song de Light,as a “Yes, ..., I, ..., will meet you tonight.”
Interwoven in the depths of the realms of a heart’s wave,
heart’s song, heart’s breath within Ancient Script of Lovecontu audio poem, Legend
of Song de Light audio book, Legend of Song de Light audio play, and Lovecontu
Song de Light Lovecontu audio set.
Links: kaitlynzq.com
Carole
McKee – Romance Writer
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
I definitely do read books for entertainment while
I'm writing. I also do a review for every book I read.
What
kind of research do I do and how much time do I spend on research?
It depends on the subject. Some research requires a
simple one sentence answer, while other subjects require much more in depth
searching.
Ann (Ana) Morris – Award-Winning Bilingual Children's Author
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
I know where my focus is on each project and always
keep my inspiration options open. I love movies and books of various genres. I
am usually reading two to three books at a time for my own enjoyment while
working on other projects. I especially like things that challenge my thinking
process. I love history and historical fiction that plant seeds for further
research. I also read lighthearted books for a break. I review nearly every
book I read. I do not usually seek books to review, but I feel reviewing is
part of the reading and writing process. It also serves the authors and the
prospective readers of the works I have read.
Writers need to read. That is our craft. Reading to
writers is like musicians listening to music. I write children’s books, so my
answer may vary from that of novelists. As I am fluently bilingual in English
and Spanish, I saw a need for children’s books in Spanish as well. I taught
High School Spanish for nearly twenty years and used them in the classroom for
several types of activities. For this reason, I use my English name (Ann
Morris) for my books in English, and my Spanish name (Ana Morris) for my books
in Spanish.
I would recommend to a new writer that if you have a
common name like I do, use another version of your name or another name
completely. I have learned that there is another author of children’s books
with the same name as mine. It confuses our public images.
I am a professional translator of both languages and
have translated several picture books as well as other types of documents. As
it is, I have many interests and many projects. If I ever seem temporarily
stumped with one project, I merely move to another, and I continue to
accomplish something, which is encouraging.
Madison
Michael – Romance Author
Do you
read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or do
you believe it will detract from your process?
I absolutely read while I write. First, for the chance to get out of my
own head for a while, and second because reading great writing can't help but
make me a better writer. I love beautiful prose, appreciate the way other
author's view and describe the world around them and hell, I admit it; I
'borrow' ideas from their sex scenes.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or
are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
I create books with
common characters who create a common thread between them, but each story is
complete and can stand on its own. I intended when creating my Beguiling
Bachelor Series to write four standalone novels with a shared
setting. But after the first two books, readers started asking me for more of
Randall or told me how much they wanted to see where Wyatt and Keeli's
romance led. That was when I happily complied with their wishes and
began creating standalone novels with recurring characters. It was also when
I extended my series beyond the original four planned novels. I am now
working on a new Beguiling Bachelor project.
What inspired you to write? or What inspired
your latest work?
When I was a little
girl I read a book about a little girl who wanted to be a writer and I
internalized that character in every respect. The book was from the Betsy,
Tracy and Tib series by Maud Hart Lovelace. If the trio built a fort, my
girlfriends and I built a fort. If they bicycled through the forest, we
scoured the neighborhood for a wooded place to do the same. My girlfriends
and I did everything Betsy, Tracy and Tib did - to the best of our abilities.
So of course, if the book character wanted to be a writer, so did I. As I
aged, that writing bent turned toward journalism, then marketing, then
management until it was lost. When I retired, I rekindled the flame and
started writing for the joy of it. So far, I haven't lost that passion.
My latest work takes
place in Sonoma during the fires that so badly ravaged wine country in 2017.
I no longer live in California, but I lived in the Bay Area for almost a
decade and visited many of the places I would hear about on the radio during
the blaze. One interview, with the owner of a winery that was partially
destroyed grabbed my attention. I decided then and there to set my next book
in the fires and make my hero someone finding love while dealing with the
loss of his vines, and his livelihood.
How do you cope with bad reviews?
This is easy to
answer - learn from them. My first one-star reviewer wrote that my characters
were 'in their heads too much'. When I read again what she reviewed, she was
spot on. I had created the common new writer mistake - all tell, no
show. I learned from it, and hopefully became a better writer. Remember
that anyone who takes the time to leave a review, good or bad, is engaged
enough to say something. Usually it merits attention. By the way, that
doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. Reviewers, remember we have feelings too. Be
gentle and constructive when you criticize us.
Facebook: facebook.com/madisonmichaelromance
Amazon Author
Page: amazon.com/Madison-Michael/e/B01EVUGG6G/
Dianne Hartsock – M/M Multi-genre Author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
I read constantly! For both entertainment and
otherwise. I’ve been a bookworm since before I knew my letters, pretending to
read picture books to my younger brothers and sister. At the moment I’m reading
two separate books along with several others I dip into from time to time,
romances and sci-fi and crime/drama at the moment. I don’t think they detract
from my writing at all. Rather, they give my busy mind a break and I can go
back to my own projects with renewed enthusiasm.
I also read for research, one of my favorite parts
of writing! I now have a head full of trivia, some of it fun, lots of it
disturbing, especially when I’m writing my psychic/serial killer stories. But
then I find police procedure and homicide investigation fascinating, so there’s
that.
Do
you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of
work with connections between each book?
I never start out meaning to write a series. When I
wrote ALEX, my psychic, I meant it to be a standalone book. But it turned out
Alex had a lot more to tell me. I now have three books in the series with a
fourth being plotted out. But each can stand on its own as well. As a reader, I
find nothing more frustrating than to begin a book and realize it’s from the
middle of a series and I’ll never know what’s going on without reading the
previous books. I feel cheated and will rarely buy the rest of the books. I
never want to do that to one of my readers.
Do
you have a favorite quote about writing? What does it mean to you?
“Amateurs sit and
wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.” –Stephen King
This! Right here. I
absolutely love writing, everything about it, from that first thrill of
inspiration, the first sentence on the page, to the research and finally
writing the last sentence of the story. But it’s work. I wake up an hour early
to write before I go to work, spend my lunch break usually on research. In the
evening I spend time with family, then back to writing until much later than I
should. Then up the next morning to do the same. And don’t get me started on
the promoting! Like I said, I love writing, but come with sleeves rolled up,
ready to work.
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Dianne-Hartsock/e/B005106SYQ
Eliot
Grayson – M/M Romance Author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
Yes, I definitely do. Reading is my
primary form of entertainment, and so that's mainly how I spend my leisure
time, whether I'm currently working on a book or not. I find that if what I'm
reading is similar to what I'm writing, it'll influence me too much. For
example, if I'm writing a historical novel I try not to read other historical
novels in between writing. On the other hand, sometimes that's a good thing; if
I can't get myself into the right mindset, I'll pick up a Jane Austen novel so
that my brain's in a drawing-room instead of, say, in the Impala with the boys
from Supernatural (just to pick an example entirely at random, ahem). One thing
I can't do is read anything too deep or absorbing. My process, such as it is,
involves letting part of my mind work away on plotting or characterization
while I'm doing other things, so I have to stick to fairly light reading, or
books I'm not too invested in, so that I can still be working on my own book in
the background of my head -- sort of like background processes on a PC. I don't
like reading nonfiction for pleasure at all while I'm writing, which I think
puts me in the weird minority.
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Both! It's always exhausting to focus on anything
for the length of time it takes to get a good chunk of words out, but it's
exhilarating to make your daily word count, finish a chapter that you know is
good, or finish a book. The most energizing feeling of all is when I solve a
problem with the plot, or figure out just the right way for a character to
react. Those "Aha!" moments when you feel like you're a brilliant
amazing genius make it all worthwhile.
How
do you cope with bad reviews?
I think this gets easier for authors with a ton of
reviews (in the thousands), because they simply can't read them all. I look
forward to that day! For now, sometimes I just complain to my husband (I'm sure
he loves that), read one of the good reviews, or walk around and shake it off.
A friend of mine who's in that thousands-of-reviews category told me never to
read my reviews, because no good comes of it. It's great advice, but I've found
it impossible to take. I think the best way to keep it from getting to you is
to remember that there are people out there who don't like ice cream.
Seriously. There's someone out there who dislikes everything, including your
awesome book. And there are a ton of people who'll love it.
Branka ÄŒubrilo - Author
Do you read books for entertainment while you're working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract from your process?
Not only do I believe
that reading other books would detract me from my own process, but I know it
for sure. Such practice is not for me as I have a certain style of writing and
I don’t need any other influences in any way. I need my own space, my own
thoughts and the rhythm of my own sentences. I don’t care about other books
whilst I am building my own story. There are no similarities between my stories
and others and I want to keep my most independent thought and structure. It is
all about my characters and me, and in that moment I don’t care about anything
else.
What are common traps for aspiring writers?
Often young writers have unrealistic expectations
from both sides, firstly from themselves, and secondly from the readership.
Whilst it is important to have self-confidence as a writer, a trap could be
overpraising your own work. Let others talk about your work instead of doing it
as if no one ever wrote a book before you.
I know a few authors who do that and it can be off-putting, and it can present an author in completely different light.
Self-promotion can be good if it is done carefully. I personally never believe
that I have written a really great book, but I always promise myself that the
next one will be something much better. I wait for others to tell me their
thoughts, often I am not too sure whether they are trying to flatter or whether
it is the complete truth. Self-doubt can be a good thing. I don’t think you
should be too harsh of a self-critic and be completely insecure about your own
work, but a good dose of soberness is helpful.
What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
The most difficult part often is the language
itself. I am a perfectionist, my sentence needs to sing, I need the rhythm that
is in my head put down on paper and sometimes it needs time to fit the
‘perfect’ word. English is not my first language, even though I am fluent in
it, I have been working as a professional interpreter and translator for years
and I write in two languages and I always need to find those ‘perfect’ words.
Sometimes I need to dig deep, think and rethink my sentence over and swap
around several words in order to find the right one. Even though my story might
fly without any difficulties, more often than not for me it is not a question
of the story, or plot, for me the question is the language: how to make it
beautiful, meaningful, full of rhythm and rhyme. For me language is everything:
my medium, my way of communicating with myself and others, a known or unknown
reader, it is a gateway into other worlds. Hence it is crucial to understanding
the world around and inside me.
What do you want to accomplish with your writing?
I look around me and I see how imperfect the world
is, often how sad the state of affairs of humans is. I see injustice
everywhere, I see politics that I don’t agree with, I see poor, sick,
discriminated people and I don’t have any other means of helping such groups
but by writing down their stories and showing the world their troubles caused
by inequality. I don’t march, I don’t organize protests or anything similar. I
write about the human condition and I can’t offer any solution, but I can make
people think and feel. That’s my skill, and that’s what I do. This is most
obvious in my latest book Dethroned, where I talk a lot about human tragedy,
war, displacement, unfairness, greed, dishonest politicians and clergymen … I
point out where problems lie, I talk about things people don’t want to talk
about out loud but rather in the quietness of their homes. They sit and read and
they tell me that I often ‘change their world or their perspective’.
So,
that’d be the right answer to your question = What do I want to accomplish with
my writing: to make people think, feel and even, if possible, act in some way.
What inspired you to write? or What inspired your latest work?
And to this question I can add from the previous
answer - what really inspired me was the injustice which had been done to my
own country; lies, falsified history, bad propaganda, mass hysteria, and this
injustice hasn’t been fixed yet. I don’t claim that I have fixed the injustice
just with one book (Dethroned), but I tried to explain the causes of the war,
what really happened in this part of the world, who was who and how wars are
continuations from previous ones, ones that have never really been finished,
regardless of the passage of time.
I hope those answers do satisfy your readers, and
thank you for including me in your project.
http://brankacubriloauthor.com/
https://www.amazon.com/Branka-Cubrilo/e/B0052Y00I6/
Well, there you have it. I hope
we’ve given you a glimpse into the writer’s life, or at least the mindset for
each author. As both writer and reader, I always find it fascinating to learn
how the process works for every novelist. Plus, maybe this made you curious
about the authors you haven’t heard of here. Perhaps you’d like to look over
some of their books?
And for new writers, we’ve likely
offered some food for thought.
In any case, have a lovely
weekend, and happy reading, everyone! :)
What does the process look like? Do they have certain superstitions
when it comes to writing? What drives them to write? And so many other inquires occur as book readers, causing us to wonder just what makes a writer tick.
Today marks a special occasion for the Writing in
the Modern Age blog. After six years of guest authors and freelance writers
visiting – not to mention featuring countless books – we’ve reached our 500th
post. Yay! Happy Anniversary to us, right? ;)
So, I thought…what better way to celebrate than to
bring back the heart of the blog in a sense, by asking many talented authors
some questions…
Are authors, in fact, superstitious
about reading other books while they work on their writing projects? More than eighty authors have weighed in on this question,
among a few other inquiries we wondered about, such as:
Does writing energize or exhaust
you?
How do you cure a case of writer’s
block?
Do
you want your book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of
work with connections between each book?
What kind of research do you do?
We've addressed these questions, and
many more. It's always fascinating to get this kind of perspective from
published writers. Get a true glimpse on how the creative process works!
Without further ado, let’s see what these cool authors have to say about their
writing…
Mark
Iles – science fiction, fantasy, and horror author. 8
published books, accredited Copywriter and Proofreader, features, B2B, film
& book reviews, blogger. Martial artist and war veteran.
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
I really struggle to
read now, as ironic as it sounds. This is for several reasons, the first being
that all the time I’m reading I’d much rather be writing. I also find myself
critiquing the books as I go, how this or that could have been better, picking
up grammatical errors, and often anticipating the endings. You just can’t help
it.
There are a few
writers, however, who do grip my attention – Kevin J. Anderson, for instance.
He’s an incredible writer and once I pick up a page-turner of his I can’t put
it down. John Wyndham’s another, although I’ve read each of his at least five times.
I get around this issue by buying audible whenever possible, and listening to
them as I drive or potter about the house. It’s cheating, I know, but this way
I can keep on top of most of my reading list while freeing up more time to
write.
What
are common traps for aspiring writers?
For me the first one
is believing that you’ll make it straight away. I don’t think we fully
appreciate that writing is a learning process, as much as any apprenticeship
is. It takes years of study to get anywhere near publishable, and I don’t
believe that even those who publish their first book submitted their first
draft – it had to be honed to perfection, or as near as damn it.
Then there are the
sites that say they are ‘looking for authors’. Remember that old maxim, that ‘if
something looks too good to be true it…’ trust me, it is. These people are just
looking for someone to pay their wages, and they’ll say anything to make you
part with your cash. I always wonder if anyone at all made it from treading
this route and I think it’s awful how they prey on people’s ‘need’ to be
published.
Lastly, that having a
book published is going to make you a fortune – it probably isn’t. I’ve learned
that the best way into a reader’s heart is to publish as regularly as you can,
so that they keep buying your books. I’m aware that I need to up my game here,
and my new year’s resolution is to finish at least one book a year from now on.
What
kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before
beginning a book?
I research quite
avidly prior to starting out the work, but it depends what it’s about. I write sci-fi
and so the science must be right. Readers will soon pick up on the fact you’ve
got it wrong. If, say, it’s a cave scene I’ll go visit one and immerse myself
in it. I’ll close my eyes, listening to sounds, what it smells like, et cetera, what
the air itself feels like. Of course I’ll research on the internet or at the
university library, but there’s no replacement for actually being in the exact
place, or one as similar as possible.
Linda
Heavner Gerald – Author of all genresDo you read books for entertainment while you're working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract from your process?
No, I do not read while I write because I believe it
will distract from my process. Writing is precious to me. I try to work on my
books each day in some way; either writing, marketing, editing, social media,
or a dozen other things.
What inspired you to write? or What
inspired your latest work?
I
believe my inspiration for my books comes from God. Six years ago, I determined
that a vision, which I experienced each night, was from God. After praying, I
found myself drawn to my computer where I wrote my first book, Beaufort
Betrayal, in two weeks. Upon completion, I realized that God had blessed me
with a special talent of writing. Six years later, I have written and published
fifteen novels. Awards from FAPA (Florida Authors and Publishers Association)
as well as chosen by the readers as “One of Fifty Great Writers You Should Be
Reading.” Also awards from NovelUnity, and recognition from Women’s Empowerment
Group. My town of Port St Joe, Florida supports my efforts with tremendous
encouragement which I deeply appreciate.
What do you want to accomplish with
your writing?
My
goal in writing is to demonstrate that all of us “mess up each day.” God waits
to welcome us back. My books are stories of redemption. Before I write, I
always pray for His guidance. Without being “in your face”, my message is soft
and subtle.
Susanne
Matthews – Multi-genre, hybrid author who writes romantic
suspense, romantic thrillers, mild paranormal suspense, contemporary romance,
Christian romance suspense, women’s fiction, YA, historical romance, and
holiday themed novels
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
While I’m writing a novel, or even revising one for
republishing which seems to be pretty well all I do these days, I rarely have
time to read much of anything. I find that since I’ve become an author, reading
for pleasure is something I seem to have less and less time to do. Why? I’m not
quite sure, but here are some of my thoughts on the matter. Time seems to be in
shorter and shorter supply these days. Maybe it’s because I’m getting old and
slowing down, or it could be because of the increase in the demands for my
attention, which gives me less time to spend doing the things I used to.
Another reason could be my abject fear that when reading something I’ll
inadvertently incorporate some of the ideas into my own work. After reading
about the plagiarizing of Nora Roberts’s books by another author I enjoyed, I’m
terrified I could accidentally use a line or something myself. Therefore, I
keep my reading to times when I am between books. Better to be safe than sorry.
What do you want to accomplish with your
writing?
What I want most from my
writing is the chance to entertain readers. I can think of no greater thrill
than meeting someone and have them tell me how annoyed they are because they
started reading my book and couldn’t put it down. They left tasks undone
because they had to keep reading to find out what happens next. Being able to
drag someone into my mind, my work, gives me a huge sense of accomplishment.
That will be my legacy. And as long as someone says “I couldn’t put it down”
about every book I write, I’ll know I’ve succeeded.
Website: https://mhsusannematthews.ca/
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Susanne-Matthews/e/B00DJCKRP4
Michael
J. Sahno - Author of fiction & non-fiction
Do
you read books for entertainment while you're working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
I believe it will detract from my
creative process if I let someone else's fiction influence a WIP;
consequently, I only read for entertainment in between writing my novels.
Do
you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of
work with connections between each book?
I want each book to stand on its
own. I don't write in a serial format, but I hope readers will enjoy their
first exposure to my novels enough to want to read the others.
Links:
Olga Núñez Miret - multi-genre author, translator and reviewer
Do you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing
project, or do you believe it will detract from your process?
I
know, because I’ve read it, that some authors feel they should not read while
they write, or at least they should not read in the same genre, as it might
influence their writing in some way (not a good way, I guess). I also know a
writer who described her writing process as merely following the characters and
peeping in on what they did, and she could not read while she wrote a
particular story, as that distracted her from the task. That has never been the
case for me. I’m first and foremost a reader, and although I’ve been writing
for a long time, I’ve had periods in my life when I haven’t written (or at
least I haven’t written fiction), but I’ve never stopped reading.
I
started reading more books by indie authors since I published my first book in
2012, and I have also become a book reviewer (I am a member of Rosie’s Book
Review Team and any authors interested can check here). It’s true that now I pay more
attention to technique and take mental notes of things I like that others do
(no plot points, but the way the story is told, or how to inform the readers of
the background or previous story, for example), but I sometimes read
non-fiction books and also read in genres I don’t write, and I’ve never felt it
detracts from my writing. I’ve never needed an excuse to read, but you never
know what can spark an idea or where you can find that piece of information you
needed.
Does writing energize or
exhaust you?
It usually energizes me,
but it depends on which stage of the process I’m in. While I’m writing, and
because I’m not much of a plotter, I enjoy discovering the story, or at least
the details of the story, as I go along. At some point I start writing faster
because I have to get to the end. And that’s a great feeling. Editing is a bit
of a mixed bag for me. I always let the manuscript rest for a while and then I
go back to it with some trepidation. I always expect it to be pretty bad, and
that means I’m sometimes pleasantly surprised. I don’t mind the initial editing
and changing things, but when it comes to reading it over and over again to
find the tiny mistakes; I end up feeling quite bored. That is compounded in my
case because I translate my own books (either from English into Spanish or vice
versa, depending on which language I wrote the original in), and that means I
reread the original again when I translate it, and in more depth (that is good
for finding continuity errors), and then I have to correct both versions, so it
can get exhausting.
I have written some books
at times when things were quite difficult in my life, books with a positive outlook,
and they helped me keep my spirits up.
On the other hand, I
recently tried setting up a bit of time each day to write something, and
although I ended up with a story, it didn’t have the same effect on me. I guess
each person is different when it comes to writing. I’d rather find time for a
specific project I’m interested in, than just write as an obligation.
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching a
book project?
I’ve always stayed away from historical subjects, not because I’m not
interested in them, but because I worry about not getting the details right,
the language, et cetera, no matter how much research I do. So, setting most of my
books in the present (the present at the time I wrote the story or a
non-defined present-like time), there isn’t always much evident research needed
for the story. But the details can require a fair amount of research. Sometimes
it might have to do with the setting (I write a thriller series with a
psychiatrist as a protagonist. I’m a psychiatrist, so that side of things is
not a problem, but because she travels, I need to try and make sure the names
of places and the details make sense), others with specific laws, practical
information (depending on the type of crime)… But I wrote a book about a TV
program and a baking competition and I had to research recipes, for example… I
don’t normally start with the research, but I realize as I write that I need to
find out some things, and then I either leave it for later, or, quite likely, I
research what I need. That sometimes might send me in a different direction.
I also do translations, and I’ve worked on some projects that have
required more research than my own books, because I want to make sure the
details are right, and sometimes because there might be issues of localization,
or the books might take place in a world I know little about (a big tanker, for
example, the world of corporate business, or even a BDSM relationship). Believe
me; I’ve learned quite a few things thanks to the books I’ve translated.
Amber
Daulton – Romance Author and BloggerDo you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract from your process?
I love reading and have so many books waiting on my Kindle, but I usually don’t read while writing. I just don’t want someone else’s voice in my head, dictating my actions. In the past, when I have read while working on a project, I start second-guessing my style, grammar, and language because what I just read differs from my own writing. Sometimes I wonder if I’m good enough and think why should I write when another author has already written a similar story or plot to mine. In this business, it’s easy for an author to lose confidence. Everyone has different styles and opinions, and a lot of people are very verbal about it, especially in negative reviews. I do everything I can to keep my spirits up and stay focused on the task at hand, and that means no reading for a few months, or at least until I finish my WIP. After I’m done writing, I usually take a two or three week break and catch up on the books in my queue. Then I start writing again and the cycle repeats.
Blogsite – http://www.amberdaultonauthor.blogspot.com
Amazon Author Page – http://amzn.to/14JoZff
Andy
Ruffett - Crime Fiction Author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
Yes, I read books for entertainment while I'm working on a
writing project. Sometimes I do nothing but read. And I don't think
that's healthy for a writer of my stature. I believe you need to read as much
as you write, because if you don't you fall behind one of your jobs: reading
or writing. For a writer, it's not bad to fall behind your reading. But to
fall behind your writing? Now, that's bad. And that has been me for
many months now. It's not that I don't write at all, it's just that I
don't produce as many words as I used to. But I do not believe that my reading
is detracting from my writing. A writer has to read. The only way a
writer improves his or her craft is by reading. If you don't read
while composing a project, you're never going to get better at the work
you're currently working on or any future writes.
It's not like being an actor or
actress and watching movies or television shows or plays of phenomenal actors
and actresses. An actor cannot learn that way because they are not acting,
they are just observing. An actor can only get better at their job by
understanding the words they have to perform, delivering them perfectly, and
observing how the other actors or actresses interact with the character the
actor or actress is portraying.
An actor cannot learn by only watching, but a writer can only learn how to write by reading and then writing.
What
is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
Funnily enough, the writing. Sometimes I do not
want to write because I really do not know where I am carrying the story.
When I was younger, it was much easier for me to write. But I think with all
the wacky ideas in my head and in notebooks, I keep giving myself
mental road blocks.
If
you’ve ever had it, or might at some point, how do you cure a case of
writer’s block?
Well, it's probably ironic for me
to answer this question given my answer to the last one, but how you cure
writer's block is by focusing on a new writing project, taking a walk or some
activity that leads you outside so you can breathe fresh air and not worry
about the block, and then doing something that completely distracts you from
the writing process like watching a movie, eating dinner with friends or
family, going for a long bike ride. Whatever you need to do to forget the
project is now your main focus. Then, go to bed and don't focus on the
project until the next morning. By then, you will have been so distracted by
your other projects (that don't involve writing) that sudden insight should
occur. If not, take a longer break. Maybe a week or a month. If you're still
blocked, read or watch something that you know is filled with excellent
writing. Then ask yourself: How do I accomplish that?
And once you know the answer, do just that. I know of one author who does not believe writer's block actually exists. She believes that it's just pure laziness on the part of the writer. Well, I think that's quite cruel like headaches don't exist either, but she has a point. I mean, writer's block is simply the brain not being able to compute the next stretch of the story. I do, however, believe that if you plan your full story from beginning to end you shouldn't have to struggle because you planned so far ahead. But I'm not a planner when it comes to writing. Well, not usually. So I can't help you there. |
Amazon Page: amazon.com/author/andyruffett
Marie
Lavender – Multi-genre Author and Blogger
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
It
depends on the book I’m writing, and how focused I am. Also, if it’s a long
project, I’m going to want to pick up a favorite read. Sometimes I read books
from the same genre to prepare myself for an upcoming project, but during the
writing process, I won’t read in that specific genre/sub-genre because I don’t
want to be too heavily influenced by those books. I’d like to make my own mark
on the industry. For the past year, I was going through some personal stuff,
and I found it difficult to get much writing or reading accomplished. But now, I am
getting back into the flow of everything, and I’ve reignited my habit of being
a bibliophile (book lover).
Do
you have a favorite quote about writing? What does it mean to you?
Hands down, my favorite is from Natalie Goldberg…
“Write what
disturbs you, what you fear, what you have not been willing to speak about. Be
willing to be split open.”
To
me, it means that we should be brave as writers. Open ourselves up to new
experiences, and delve deep inside to the dark truths we might have. Use those
emotions and pour them into our stories. Make a story as real as possible, even
if it’s a little uncomfortable or touches close to home. Readers will better
connect with what we know all too well – something reminiscent of the
human condition.
Did
you study writing in school, or take extra classes to develop your craft? Or,
have you learned everything on your own?
I
took writing classes in high school and college. I actually majored in Creative
Writing. But I will never overlook the benefits of a self-taught scenario.
There are so many writers’ resources available these days, and I have continued
to draw on those to develop my skills as a novelist.
Website: https://marielavender.com/
Universal Reading List:
https://books2read.com/rl/marielavendersbooks
Maggie
Blackbird – romancing Canada's Indigenous People
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
I always read during the writing process. If I
didn't, I'd never get to read, LOL, because I'm always writing. And it's a
nice way to study another author's work.
Does
writing energize or exhaust you?
Writing energizes me. When I'm fast drafting,
I always feel excited.
Web Site: https://maggieblackbird.com/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/maggieblackbirdauthor/
Stefan
Vucak – Author of contemporary political drama and
science fiction that challenges what is possible
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
When I am immersed in a new book
project – once I get going, that is – I try to write something every day.
Sometimes I generate lots of pages, and there are days when I simply spend time
editing what I have written. It all depends on my inspiration, mood, and things
going on around me. And sometimes I simply don’t feel like writing. However,
like a drug junkie, the creation process gives me an intense buzz and I need my
daily fix. Writing also takes a personal emotional toll and there are moments
when I need to recharge. That is when I turn to something else like reading …
among other things.
I am an avid reader and my interest
spans many genres, fiction and non-fiction alike. I believe it all sits somewhere in
my mind, adding to the store of information that I can draw on in my own
writing. For me, reading a book while working on my own is not a distraction at
all, and there is no danger that I will lose the thread of my story. I always
prepare a detailed outline for a book, and that helps to keep me focused.
Sometimes, though, my characters take me in an unexpected direction, but that
is part of the fun. The outline keeps them in check and prevents me from wondering
off into the forest of irrelevancy. Anyway, cradling a good book with a tumbler
of bourbon at my side is a necessary recharging process.
So, I would say read as you write
and open your imagination to new ideas and visions.
What are common traps for aspiring writers?
I don’t know how many times I have
read a comment on social media by an author proudly proclaiming how he or she
simply sits down and starts writing a book … and keeps going until it is
finished. Such comments are invariably followed by tales of woe having to go
through several drafts, edits, rewrites, and general frustration that the book
has not turned out exactly as envisioned. I am not surprised. Sitting down and
pounding away is like trying to build a house without a plan. No one does that,
not if they expect a properly built structure. In my view, it is the same with
a book.
Having reviewed a raft of books from
new writers, apart from technical problems such as incorrect grammar and poor
editing, the stories lack depth and cohesion. It was clear that most of them
were not thought out in sufficient detail. Why? The author probably did not
write a detailed outline, or only had a few bullet points for the plot. My
advice? Do the research and write that outline before getting into the story!
If you’ve ever had it, or might at some point, how do you
cure a case of writer’s block?
You are sitting at your writing
desk, chewing the end of that pen or staring at the computer wondering what the
hell to do next. The words just don’t want to come and your mind is a blank
slate. Let’s face it, one of the procrastination demons has gotten to you and
poisoned your mind. Writing is damn hard work. It’s lonely, your bones
fossilize as you spend hours frozen in one position, and irritation seeps in
when you hit that mental pothole. You have to accept that sometimes words just
don’t flow no matter how much you are straining. If they won’t come, they won’t
come. A cup of coffee or something stronger may lubricate the old brain pan and
help you get out of the mental pothole. I have found the best way to avoid
falling into that pothole is to have a detailed book outline where all the
major elements of the plot, sub-plots, and story sequences have been worked out
beforehand. You are building a street map for your novel. It tells you exactly
how to get to where you want to end up.
Everybody hits a snag that
grinds your writing to a stop. That’s the price we pay as writers. However,
taking an easy way out by procrastinating will not get that page written.
Revisit your outline. Focus on the plot thread that has unraveled and see what
needs to be done to weave it back into the story. The words will flow again.
Website: https://www.stefanvucak.com
Faye
Hall
– Australian Historical Romance Author
Do you read books for
entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it
will detract from your process?
I don't read at all
while I'm writing a book because I'm too scared that some of another author's
writing/ideas may slip into my own.
If you're a published
author, what has changed in the book industry? Is it harder to get a break
and get readers? Has the atmosphere in the writing world changed?
I think the biggest
problem at the moment is so many people want so much for free that not all
readers are willing to spend the price of a coffee on a book. I've also
noticed that so many younger people aren't reading like they used to, which I
think is sad. So many people are getting lost in the world of social
media and no longer allowing themselves to get lost in books anymore.
Like I said, I think this is very sad.
Does writing energize or
exhaust you?
Exhaust me! By the
time I've finished a book and sent it away to the publisher I'm quite drained
and need a few days/weeks before I can move onto the next project.
Karina
Bartow – mystery & romance author
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
I’ve honestly
never found reading as an impediment to my process, but I don’t always have
time for it. When I do, I’m often refreshed and find pointers from others’
styles. While editing my latest novel, for instance, I needed to reduce my
inactive verbs. Reading helped me think of active ones I don't use a lot, and
it gave me ideas of ways to arrange sentences that make them less passive.
Do
you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of
work with connections between each book?
I want each to be unique and a new experience for my
readers, so my work never goes stale. At the same time, however, I think it’s
important to have a few signatures carried throughout every story, something
that sets your work apart. That way, readers know what they can expect and even
come to anticipate it. With a series, especially, you want a good mix of
surprises and familiarity.
A. B.
Funkhauser - Satirist
Do you read books for
entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it
will detract from your process?
Yes to books, no to distraction. In fact I mix it up
with hefty doses of HBO docs, true crime non-fiction and biographies to knock
character traits loose. I love a good yarn, love penning them, too. For me, the
best inspiration comes from the newspaper, grocery store aisle convos and
stories ripped from real life. Then I take what I’ve learned and twist it out
of shape. Sometimes, what I get goes on to the page; other times, it just makes
me laugh, keeps me up, thinking. That’s what keeps me writing.
Diane Merrill Wigginton – Historical Romance/Young Adult Historical
Author/Publisher
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
When I
moved to Montana last year one of my neighbors found out that I was an author
and invited me to join her book club, so I did. I have so much fun with the
ladies, but I don't always like the books that they choose. Yet I always learn
something new from them, so I read what they pick. The answer to the
question is "Yes," I read for pleasure when I am writing and "No,"
it doesn't detract from my process at all.
Does writing energize or exhaust
you?
I guess
that would depend on the kind of scene I am writing. If it's a very emotional,
gripping scene where I have to dig deep and write a tragic scene, then it can
be very draining on me and I might be wrung out after two or three pages.
Otherwise, I enjoy writing and it can leave me feeling very energized even
after writing ten or fifteen pages.
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/author/dianemerrillwigginton
J.
R. Wirth — MS, LMFT/Author middle grade through
adult—paranormal, supernatural, and thrillers, all with psychological suspense.
Ezine poetry and short stories; and traditional publishing – short stories, and
novels.
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
I
read a lot whether it is a magazine, an ezine, news, web streaming, books, et cetera. I
often read while I am creating. It often inspires and instigates. I’m currently
finishing up a book which is almost complete and during the process I read Dan
Brown’s Inferno, and am almost finished with The Lost Symbol.
Does writing
energize or exhaust you?
I find writing both energizes and exhausts me. When
creating and then editing (fixing and expounding on) material, I get “brain
pumped,” which fuels more creative words and thoughts to flow. However, I give so much that sometimes I wear
myself out. At other times I may delay getting started because I know the
energy I will expend, will, most likely, wear me out.
Tina
Donahue - multi-genre romance author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
Since I finish a chapter a day (4k
to 5k words), plus doing revisions, I’m pretty much wiped out when I finish.
I’ll admit to watching TV then to unwind and not to have to think, except maybe
to revisit what I’d written that day in order to enhance the chapter. When I
read books, I want the full day so I can finish and not have any distractions.
Does writing energize or exhaust
you?
The only time I’m energized and
relaxed is when I write. In between projects, I’m antsy and unsettled. I need
to write as much as I need to breathe and eat. It’s necessary to my happiness.
What
kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching a book
project?
I
research via the net (it has everything), and do it thoroughly (plus an
outline) before I write one word. How long it takes to research depends upon
the book and genre. For example, my Spanish historical (1488) required tons of
research about clothing, furnishings, culture during that time, et cetera. With
a contemporary romance featuring a computer whiz, I had to learn that. Since
I’m no geek, that research took weeks.
Website/blog: https://tinadonahuebooks.blogspot.com/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Tina-Donahue/e/B001IZPJXO
P.T. Macias - Paranormal Romance
Author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
I
don't read books, because I don't want them to influence my writing. Yes, for a
long time I did believe that it would detract from my process. I do love to
read but I haven't read since I started writing in 2007.
I decided to start reviewing, so I hope it works
out.
Do
you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of
work with connections between each book?
I do want each book to stand on its
own, but all of my series connect via characters and the earth realm. I have
the supernatural community on the Earth realm where they coexist with humanity.
The Vhampiers and Dragons have their own realm. I love that my series connect
because I believe it gives the reader that feeling of joy and familiarity when
encountering their favorite characters again in other books.
Newsletter - https://www.subscribepage.com/ptmacias
Vina Arno - Romance Author
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
I can’t
live without books, so I read continuously regardless of my writing
projects. I read for entertainment. It doesn’t detract me at all.
What
do you want to accomplish with your writing?
I want to
tell compelling stories. Having said that, my ultimate goal is to make fiction
writing my day job.
Links:
Author Website: https://www.cindyfazzi.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CindyFazzi
Fiona Tarr – Religious/Mythological Fantasy
Author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
I never read for entertainment while I am writing. I
focus on writing my current project because reading other authors can
distract me, but also influence my writing style.
What do you want to accomplish with your
writing?
I hope to reach a point where I can write full time,
but more importantly, I would like to know that readers are entertained
and inspired by my books.
Links:
Charity Parkerson – Author of M/M
Romance
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
I don’t read when I’m writing. I
wouldn’t want my writing style influenced by anyone else. To stay consistent
and true to my style, I avoid books in the same genre as me.
How
do you cope with bad reviews?
I don’t read them. For years, I
used to obsess over bad reviews. They would stop me from writing for weeks.
Over the years, I’ve learned they’re not for me. They’re not even about me. No
one reads the same story. Everyone sees books through their experiences. So, I
choose not to read them and let them influence me. I write for myself, to make
myself happy, and I’m blessed to have people who want to read my books to make
them happy.
Jeffery Martin Botzenhart – Multi-genre
author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
I do not read other books for entertainment while
writing. I find that it distracts me.
What kind
of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a
book?
Depending on the story I'm writing, my research
focuses on the setting, technology in the time period, and general ideas about
the way people dressed or talked, especially if it's a historical piece.
What
inspired your latest work?
Perfection,
soon to be released by Solstice, was actually inspired by Romeo and Juliet. An
idea of a doomed romance came to mind. Roughly a month later, I found the perfect
setting for my story. Being a huge fan of James Bond movies, I envisioned a
sprawling story, featuring action, technology, and romance. I believe I
achieved what I set out to do.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JBotzenhart
David W. Thompson – Dark fiction and paranormal author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
For the majority of the time I am working on a
story, I will take occasional breaks from my efforts to read. When crafting
critical portions and during the conclusion of any WIP, I'm not good for much
else and read very little.
Between the end of my 1st draft and starting the
editing process, I may read several books to get some separation from my story.
Fresh eyes and mind, I guess... or at least that's my story!
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying
to build a body of work with connections between each book?
Both,
actually. My short stories for instance aren't "related" at all. With
the "Legends" trilogy, all three tales are stand alone in their own
right. However, they do follow the same family line. But with a century
separating the stories, the main characters are quite different...only the
ancient evil, the family's scourge, remains the same throughout.
What do you want to accomplish with your writing?
My main
goal is to entertain. I consider that to be a writer's primary job. If I can
shed some light on past (or present) injustices, or inspire someone to look at
something in a different light, well that's icing on the literary cake.
Twitter at: https://twitter.com/Thompson_DavidW
K.C. Sprayberry – Author of Teen Books
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
I don’t read a book while I’m
working on a project. Yes, I believe it will influence what I’m working on and
I might get off track. However, if I get stuck while writing, I will take a
break and read a book totally unrelated to my genre.
Does
writing energize or exhaust you?
It all depends. Most times, I’m
energized, the characters are in control, and the flow is working well. There
are moments, though, where I’m having to slow down, take my time with the
details, and I’ll be exhausted when a particularly tense scene is completed.
Chrys
Fey
- author, editor, and blogger
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
I always read for entertainment, but
whether or not I read really depends on my mood, not if I am working on a
writing project or what genre that project may be. I go through reading ruts
where I don’t read as much as I usually would. Mostly this is because I can’t
decide what I feel like reading; nothing appeals to me at the time.
When I was younger, I was always
reading and writing. If I wasn’t doing one, I was doing the other. And I would
read books similar to what I was working on all the time, because that’s what I
was interested in. It took me years to write my first book, so not reading a
genre I love for years would’ve been quite silly.
Recently I have noticed that I don’t
read as much when I am writing. This isn’t a conscious decision, though. I
expend so much energy in writing, and it consumes so much of my time, that I
tend to be too tired to read afterward.
If you've ever had it, or might at some point, how do you cure a case of writer's block?
What cures one writer’s block, may
not cure another writer’s block. Or what works one time for you, may not work a
second time.
My biggest case of writer’s block
happened when I was seventeen and lasted a month or two. What I did then was
figure out what was causing my block. After some time, I realized I was blocked
on my current project because I had matured, and my characters had matured with
me, but the work I had done previously (three books) did not fit with what I
was currently doing, so, I set off on the task of rewriting that series and
recreating the concept. This didn’t bother me. Instead, it excited me. I had a
blast writing the new series. All six or seven years of writing that new series
was a pure joy.
Did you study writing in school, or take extra classes to
develop your craft? Or, have you learned everything on your own?
I learned everything on my own, from
the moment I started writing at the age of twelve to now. I am constantly
learning and improving my craft. I don’t believe you need a degree in English
Literature to be a writer, but, if I could have, I would’ve taken classes or
studied writing in college, because that’s what I yearned to do. My life led me
down a different path, though, making that impossible. So, I became my own MFA
professor. I devoured books and wrote all the time, the two most important
things a writer needs to do to grow. If there’s one thing I want aspiring
writers to know, it’s that you don’t need a degree to write or to publish. As a
matter of fact, I have my GED.
Website: https://www.ChrysFey.com
Empi Baryeh – Romance Author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
Yes, I read for entertainment while
working on a writing project. I may stay away from books with plots that sound
similar to what I’m working on, but I’d certainly read other books.
If you’ve ever had it, or might at
some point, how do you cure a case of writer’s block?
Music inspires me in general, so I
listen to a playlist of my all-time favorite songs. I also take the
opportunity to binge read or watch TV series. If the block doesn’t lift within
a few days, I go back to the story and start reading it from the beginning,
which usually helps to figure out what isn’t working for me in the first place.
How do you cope with bad reviews?
As long as I have more positive
reviews than negative, I don’t worry too much about my review average, but I do
worry about the content of a bad review. Some reviewers are so brutal with
their choice of words.
I cope by reminding myself that not
everyone will love my book, and the biggest names in the business have one-star
reviews too. I take a step back to analyze what the reader didn’t like to see
if there are lessons I can pick for future projects.
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/EmpiBaryeh
Virginia
Babcock – Multi-genre author
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
I read books all the time. When I’m
writing it makes it both harder to concentrate on my reading AND write. Lately,
I’ve been picking fast-moving books that grip me or old favorites. This way I
can spend less time reading, which frees up time to write and saves brain space
for writing.
If
you’ve ever had it, or might at some point, how do you cure a case of writer’s
block?
Yes. I’ve had some killer cases of
it. I’m not through my last case yet. But, focusing and trying to get some done
has helped. To keep going, I’m limiting editing so as to not stop the flow of
creativity. I’ll cut out the bad stuff and perfect later.
Do
you have a favorite quote about writing? What does it mean to you?
Yes: “A writer is a reader moved to
emulation.” By Saul Bellow. This is why I write.
S.
Cinders – Romance Author
Do you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing
project, or do you believe it will detract from your process?
I honestly do not have time to read.
However, I love books, so instead of reading traditionally, I listen to audio
books at night. BTW, it can make for some really crazy dreams.
That being said, I don't think it
deters from my writing. I think that each story is unique and beautiful in its
own right. Usually what I am reading at the time is VERY different from what I
am writing so it feels like a break.
And we know as authors that it is
rare we have the chance to really sit back and relax.
Tom Johnson – multi-genre author
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
Yes, I’ve been reading for pleasure for 70 years.
The entertainment value of reading while creating your own worlds cannot be
stressed enough. We are all influenced by other writers. Those who don’t read
usually fall flat when trying to entertain.
What inspired you to write? or What
inspired your latest work?
I
was a fan of the pulp genre, action stories set in the 1930s & ‘40s, as
well as jungle romance adventures by authors like Edgar Rice Burroughs. My
first attempt at writing, in fact, was influenced by Burroughs. I created the
JUR series that eventually ran for six issues.
Do you have a favorite quote about
writing? What does it mean to you?
"It is not
true that we have only one life to live; if we can read, we can live as many
more lives and as many kinds of lives as we wish." - S. I. Hayakawa
This has always inspired me while writing. I want to create my own
worlds and characters, and introduce them to readers.
Pamela
Q. Fernandes – author, doctor and podcaster
I prefer not to read other books because the words
or style tends to bleed into my writing. So I'm usually more focused when I
write my books if I don't read someone else's work.
What
inspired your latest work?
My latest work was inspired by sports. I actually
started writing a book on soccer but found with my Indian background, I knew so
much about cricket. That got me thinking of a sports series. Soon I wrote
Bowled, which is book one in the series with Touchpoint Press and three more to
follow.
Linda
Diane Wattley – Author who writes fiction and
nonfiction to strengthen and encourage others…
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
While working on writing projects, I continue to
read and review books because it gives me a break from my project. It's
like a different part of my brain being used. Reading always relaxes me.
K.T. Rose – Dark fiction and
Suspense AuthorDo you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract from your process?
Sometimes. They seem to help me get back in touch with my inner thoughts and remind me of what I need to keep in mind when I'm polishing a draft. It only detracts me from writer's block. It also helps me open up my mind to all types of options. If I'm stuck, reading other books reminds me that there isn't just one way to reach the end. Never be afraid of investigating other scenarios or outcomes.
How do you cope with bad reviews?
I read them and determine if it's worth considering as I write the next book. Sometimes, I blow them off. Perhaps my stuff isn't for that reader, and that's okay. There are lots of popular books that aren't for me. It comes with the trade. A bad review isn't the end of the world. I'll keep writing for those who like my writing and want more.
Website: https://kyrobooks.com/
Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/K.T.-Rose/e/B01N4T91M2/
Khaled Talib – Thriller Author
Do you read books for
entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it
will detract from your process?
I don’t
have a hard and fast rule when it comes to reading while writing. It depends on
how much time I have. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t.
From my
personal experience, it has not detracted me from my process as I am clear in
my mind the direction I want to take. I do, however, feel a sense of guilt, as
if I have abandoned my project. But I’ll ignore the feeling and continue to
read before going back to my own writing.
If you’re
a reader, you can read anytime, anywhere. But if you’re a writer, you won’t
have that same kind of privilege. I won’t pick up a second book to read when
I’m ready to write again.
Breaks in
between, which could mean days or weeks, may not necessarily mean picking up
another book because I need to decompress my mind from seeing words. So,
watching a movie or a TV series is fine, but reading a page from a book is
mentally strenuous, at least in my case.
Reading
takes time, writing takes time. I’m not the most disciplined person on the
planet, so my fear is that I’ll end up stalling. Sometimes I don’t have the
energy to read after hours of writing. Others might be able to do it, but not
me. If I do read for entertainment, it’ll be a short book.
Like most
writers, I spend a lot of hours writing. I even avoid friends or going out
unnecessarily, what more…read a book for entertainment? I don’t have a choice,
the luxury of indulgence has been taken away from me. I need to prioritize what
constitutes entertainment, otherwise I might end up asking myself, “Where did
the time go?”
I prefer
to read after finishing a manuscript as I feel free. No guilt, no stress, just
peace of mind.
How do you cope with bad reviews?
The first time I saw a bad review
of my book, it was on Goodreads. I started hyperventilating. I even wrote to
Goodreads to complain about it. A customer service staff tried to pacify me,
saying I’ve accomplished so much I shouldn’t fret about one zit. But I wanted
everything to look nice and pretty. Do you like seeing a dent on a new car or a
crack on your new cell phone that you purchased just days ago? It took a while
for me to get used to the fact that not every reader is going to enjoy my book.
On the bright side, the ratio is
more than often positive. I get more good reviews than bad ones, and that keeps
me afloat.
But the one rule I do have is never
get personal with the reviewer. There have been cases when the reviewer and
reader didn’t read the book (they even admit it), so instead of telling them
off, I’ll block them from trolling me further.
On one occasion I had a blogger who
cursed the entire book. She had nothing nice to say about it. The person was
rude. I ignored the reviewer, but I took no further action and classified the
incident as a weird experience, considering I had received plenty of positive
reviews previously.
Focus is the keyword. Keep going. There is no time to get
yourself entrenched in some petty squabble.
However, when a reviewer makes a
factual mistake, I’ll email them to point it out. This kind of situation is
managed amicably.
Recently, I read a story about a
writer stalking a reviewer at his home. She wanted to know why he hated her
book. I thought that was a bizarre case. It’ll make an interesting thriller
novel, but on the serious side I’ll never stalk a reviewer just because he or
she has a different opinion.
I have written three novels and
several short stories. I have such a thick skin now that my attitude towards
bad reviews is come what may.
In any case, bad reviews do not
imply the end of your writing world. Customers have purchased my books despite
seeing bad reviews peppered with good ones. There are many people out there who
prefer to judge things for themselves, so have faith that things will work out.
A bad review can also be a good
thing. If the book receives a hundred percent positive rating, people are going
to wonder if this is a marketing scam.
Here’s a case study: I had an
incident once with a blogger who didn’t quite like a book of mine, but I
maintained a good relationship with the blogger instead of cursing her to hell.
I put my feet into her shoes and tried to understand her perspective. I
realized she had a certain preference, so I accepted her opinion as a fair
comment.
My gut feeling told me my next book
would appeal to her. When the new book got published, I sent her a copy and
invited her to review it. She agreed but her attitude changed towards this new
book, and she gave me a cool five stars!
Moral of the story? Be cool.
Wayne Neely - Author of 13 books
based on hurricanes of the region.
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
No, I
don't because I think it distracts me from my writing, but if I am working on a
new book manuscript I would read a book or two related to my research work,
which would be on the subject of 'hurricanes' which is what my 13 books are
based on.
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
It's a combination of both.
Depending on what subject matter I am working on. If it is a difficult matter,
then it drains me mentally. But if it is an easy subject matter to write on then
it energizes me, and my work flows a little more efficiently.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying
to build a body of work with connections between each book?
Yes, I do, but I do find that the more
recent book or books tend to be my greatest books. I feel they can stand alone and
that is mostly because my earlier books tend to be a bit weaker. If I
made a mistake in my earlier books, it helps me to learn from them and make the
necessary corrections or adjustment in my latest book or books.
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend
researching a book project?
Historical research and my research
period takes anywhere between 6 to 8 months. Research is the most difficult
part of my artistic process.
If you’ve ever had it, or might at some point, how do you
cure a case of writer’s block?
Yes, I do, and typically I will put
the work away and go see a movie, or simply go and watch a TV show based on
nature.
www.amazon.com/wayneneely
Sandra Perez Gluschankoff
– Historical fiction, time-slip novelistReading is something I do always, on a daily basis, right when I hit my bed at night. It helps me unwind. It takes me away from all pressing matters and transports me to storyland, a place I usually inhabit with my own characters and my own stories. The difference is that reading places me in the back seat instead of the wheel, so I get to enjoy a ride into somebody else’s story. Reading other people’s work doesn’t interfere with mine. On the contrary, it refreshes my thoughts, it helps putting my work into perspective.
Amazon page: amazon.com/author/sandragluschankoff
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/palabrasandstories
Leslie
Hachtel – Romance Author
Do you read books
for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe
it will detract from your process?
I read about three books a week. I love to read! And no, it doesn't
detract from my process. On the contrary, reading good books energizes me and
makes me want to achieve more and better.
What are common
traps for aspiring writers?
Sadly, many aspiring
writers think that as soon as they finish their book, they will immediately hit
the bestseller list and get rich. It happens. but very, very rarely. The truth
is, this is a marathon, not a sprint. If you tell your stories well, you will
reach other people with your message. And isn't that the most important part?
What kind of
research do you do, and how long do you spend researching a book project?
I spend a great deal of time on
research. To me, there is nothing worse that writing about something and
getting the facts wrong. When I wrote Hannah's War, I spent months
going over some of the many aspects of the Civil War and made sure of my facts.
It was the same for A Dance in Time. That book included the sinking
of The Mary Rose and I made sure of my accuracy to the best of my
ability. I believe if you're going to "quote" history, you need to
get it right, no matter how long it takes.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lesliehachtelwriter/
Marianne
Petit – Romance author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
I try to stay away from books in my
genre while I am writing because it distracts me. I find I start dissecting
their book, comparing it to mine and then I start second-guessing my
own writing. Plus I don’t want to be influenced by their writing
style.
Aaron
Dennis – sci-fi/fantasy/horror author
Do
you read books for entertainment while you're working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
Both? I do sometimes read other books while writing my own stories, but I have also encountered instances during which I needed to stop reading the book I was enjoying because it was affecting my writing.
Both? I do sometimes read other books while writing my own stories, but I have also encountered instances during which I needed to stop reading the book I was enjoying because it was affecting my writing.
One time, I was reading Phule's Paradise, a 70's sci-fi, while I was writing my own sci-fi
short story. I wanted to see if I could figure out the element that made sci-fi
feel like sci-fi. Was it describing alien life forms? Was it introducing bizarre technology, which may or may not
actually function? Or was it plainly the words chosen for the narrative?
I mean, if you read fantasy, you come across words
or phrases like, ‘Let us make haste’ or ‘Man the ramparts’ – nary a lull. The
words in the narrative make the fantasy story feel like fantasy, and not
necessarily the magic and dragons throughout.
Another time, I was reading an autobiography while writing a novel, and the autobiography was so engrossing that it led me to research the writer and the circumstances of his life, so I was more drawn to the book I was reading than my own work, and I found myself thinking through my story less and less. That time, I just finished the autobiography, did all my research, and moved on. I think I took something like a two week break from my story to do all that, but then I got back into it, reading through each chapter to recapture the feel of the story.
In the end, it really depends on the person, project, and what they're reading. I mean, if reading one thing while working on another works for you, keep at it. If, on the other hand, you find yourself consistently more interested in reading than writing, I suggest you finish whatever you're reading, and then finish your writing before starting a new read.
I would also extend this to other media. Are you binge watching a show while writing? Are you binge playing a new video game while writing?
I'm not a big show watcher, but I play a lot of video games; I review them, so it's kind of important I keep doing this. However, I try to choose a mindless game with less story when I'm writing a new project.
For instance, the story line for the Fire Emblem games is quite engrossing, and you have to play through the games a few times to learn everything about the world and its characters, so I probably wouldn't play Fire Emblem while in the middle of a new project, but rather after the project is drafted, and I'm waiting for beta readers, or something. I will play something like Wind Waker, though, because the story is not very complex, and a lot of the game is just running around, slashing baddies, and collecting items, so the mindlessness combined with the visual and auditory stimuli works to my benefit.
Not all us writers are old farts... :)
What do you want to accomplish with your writing?
I want to change the way people think. We've been taught how to walk, eat, write, and everything else, but we've also been taught how to think by our parents, peers, teachers, instructors, television, and books. We think incorrectly, but we've never so much as conceived this as a possibility, which I feel is proof positive that we've learned to think incorrectly.
It's not possible for us to be thinking correctly without wondering if the way we think is correct. Can we truly believe we're always right? Aren't we often proven wrong?
Let me put it like this: Logic is only logical to you because of the way you reason, which is based on your life experience, predilections, and priorities, but no one else has lived your life. Not everyone shares your likes and goals, so the way you think, and the choices you make, and your reasoning is only logical to you; this is why there are so many disagreements. This is also why we have to speak to each other with analogies.
If I say to you, "It's cold outside!", you know what cold is to you, but you step outside to find it's only slightly chilly. Now, had I said, “It's 50 degrees outside!”, you'd know how you're going to feel.
I also can't describe to you the color red, the sound a guitar makes, or the feel of soft skin. I have to provide analogies; we have to compare and contrast experiences in order to find a common ground, and then, we get mad at each other when we can't find that common ground. It's senseless because we've been taught to think incorrectly.
Now, what does this have to do with sci-fi, fantasy, and horror? Read my books and stories. The genre is just my setting, but you'll never find characters more real in anyone else's work because my characters are teaching lessons via their experiences in my stories. It's really neat once you see it. Of course, I also have a few non-fiction titles out there for everyone to enjoy....
Thanks for reading my answers!
Another time, I was reading an autobiography while writing a novel, and the autobiography was so engrossing that it led me to research the writer and the circumstances of his life, so I was more drawn to the book I was reading than my own work, and I found myself thinking through my story less and less. That time, I just finished the autobiography, did all my research, and moved on. I think I took something like a two week break from my story to do all that, but then I got back into it, reading through each chapter to recapture the feel of the story.
In the end, it really depends on the person, project, and what they're reading. I mean, if reading one thing while working on another works for you, keep at it. If, on the other hand, you find yourself consistently more interested in reading than writing, I suggest you finish whatever you're reading, and then finish your writing before starting a new read.
I would also extend this to other media. Are you binge watching a show while writing? Are you binge playing a new video game while writing?
I'm not a big show watcher, but I play a lot of video games; I review them, so it's kind of important I keep doing this. However, I try to choose a mindless game with less story when I'm writing a new project.
For instance, the story line for the Fire Emblem games is quite engrossing, and you have to play through the games a few times to learn everything about the world and its characters, so I probably wouldn't play Fire Emblem while in the middle of a new project, but rather after the project is drafted, and I'm waiting for beta readers, or something. I will play something like Wind Waker, though, because the story is not very complex, and a lot of the game is just running around, slashing baddies, and collecting items, so the mindlessness combined with the visual and auditory stimuli works to my benefit.
Not all us writers are old farts... :)
What do you want to accomplish with your writing?
I want to change the way people think. We've been taught how to walk, eat, write, and everything else, but we've also been taught how to think by our parents, peers, teachers, instructors, television, and books. We think incorrectly, but we've never so much as conceived this as a possibility, which I feel is proof positive that we've learned to think incorrectly.
It's not possible for us to be thinking correctly without wondering if the way we think is correct. Can we truly believe we're always right? Aren't we often proven wrong?
Let me put it like this: Logic is only logical to you because of the way you reason, which is based on your life experience, predilections, and priorities, but no one else has lived your life. Not everyone shares your likes and goals, so the way you think, and the choices you make, and your reasoning is only logical to you; this is why there are so many disagreements. This is also why we have to speak to each other with analogies.
If I say to you, "It's cold outside!", you know what cold is to you, but you step outside to find it's only slightly chilly. Now, had I said, “It's 50 degrees outside!”, you'd know how you're going to feel.
I also can't describe to you the color red, the sound a guitar makes, or the feel of soft skin. I have to provide analogies; we have to compare and contrast experiences in order to find a common ground, and then, we get mad at each other when we can't find that common ground. It's senseless because we've been taught to think incorrectly.
Now, what does this have to do with sci-fi, fantasy, and horror? Read my books and stories. The genre is just my setting, but you'll never find characters more real in anyone else's work because my characters are teaching lessons via their experiences in my stories. It's really neat once you see it. Of course, I also have a few non-fiction titles out there for everyone to enjoy....
Thanks for reading my answers!
Sheryl Dee –
romance author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
I do read books for
entertainment while working on a writing project, most recently in the editing
stage.
Did
you study writing in school, or take extra classes to develop your craft? Or,
have you learned everything on your own?
At UNC-CH, I
minored in creative writing and did a senior thesis in it that became my first
literary novel, which won an author fellowship.
I also studied with
Poetry for the People at UC Berkeley.
Nina
Soden – Urban Fantasy Author
Do you read books for entertainment while
you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract from
your process?
YES! I think it is important to
always be reading. I am always in the middle of at least one or two books at
any given time. Sometimes I read just for pleasure, sometimes I'm reading books
I can learn from, but I'm always reading no matter what stage of the writing
process I'm in.
What are common traps for aspiring
writers?
There are so many, but I think one
of the worst is editing as you go. If you get in the cycle of editing every
time you sit down to write, it is hard to finish anything. I'm always telling
the teens I work with that they need to just put everything on paper first,
then go back and read/edit/re-write.
What do you want to accomplish with
your writing?
Honestly, just to entertain people.
I enjoy the creative process of writing and if I can entertain just one person,
then I'm happy.
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Nina_Soden
Jes Drew – Action Writer
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
I read while I write because that is
the number one best way for me hone my craft- by seeing what I like and don't
like in others' work, and it also teaches the finer points of genre so I know
what my readers are looking for.
What
are common traps for aspiring writers?
One common trap is trying to create
your magnum opus in the first draft – that's never going to happen, even if you
write for fifty years. You need to focus on writing that first draft – and edit
it later.
Another common trap would be trying
to do what everyone else is doing. Pave your own trail. There will be enough
writers telling others' stories; but there will be only you telling yours.
Do
you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of
work with connections between each book?
I personally tie all my works
together in a fictional multiverse, but I've always had great respect in books
that can stand on their own. It depends on your genre, your audience, and the
story you have to tell which path you choose.
Links:
Sierra
N. Terry – Fantasy Writer and Artist
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
I don't read, but it's not because I
think it detracts me from anything! You see, the more books I wrote the less
time I ended up having. I double as an artist and I incorporate my art into all
my books and art in general is a timely process. I also happen to have two jobs
right now so my time is extra limited. Normally it's work, come home and get
novel/art stuff done then back to work. Basically I don't get any free time to
look at other things even when I want to. But! That might change when I get my
novel series finished! There's only one way to find out!
Do
you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of
work with connections between each book?
Okay, so this is a fun question! It
turned out as both! I call The Four Kingdoms a "series" yet I made it
so they all could be read individually but still all connect to the very first
story 'The Longest Knight'. Did it start out that way when I started the first
book? Of course not! I had no plans for other books but like with a lot of
things I make, this project spun completely out of control. And now there are 5
books in The Four Kingdoms Series!
Does
writing energize or exhaust you?
Can I say both? I'm a little strange
I guess! When I'm writing something good I get really into it and I'm typing a
mile a minute. But at the same time there have been plenty of times when
writing did a good job at putting me to sleep! The only exception: erotica.
That is a whole different story.
Novel series page: https://facebook.com/The-Four-Kingdoms-Series-1483070485114684
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Sierra-Terry/e/B07BB78HMN
Judi Getch Brodman – Mystery/Romance author and blogger
Do you read books for entertainment while you’re working
on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract from your process?
The answer is yes and
no. Sometimes when I’m writing, I feel
as though I’ve gone stale… my words are flat, mundane. My magical edge disappears. When that happens, I pick up one of my
favorite writers and read a chapter or two. Reading someone else’s words energizes me and when I return to my work,
the magic continues. Normally I’ll read when my
latest manuscript is in editing with the publisher or just before I start a new
manuscript.
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Absolutely energizes me. It takes me to places that I love with people
I adore. It’s my world and my world
alone until I share it with my readers.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you
trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
I do both. I have written stand-alone books like The
Looking Glass Labyrinth. Although I
have readers ask me to bring the second woman character back to 1804 as well…
and see what happens. She’s Not You
was written as a stand-alone, but the characters, Jack and Jamie, became so
loved and they work so well as a team that they caused the “Oyster Point
Mystery” series to be born. I’m working
on the second, Treat Me Nice. I’m
about to submit another stand-alone to the publisher… Dark Secrets, a Paris
based mystery. I guess the answer is
that I don’t really know what connections might be generated that are strong
enough to generate a follow-on book… that’s true for me.
How do you cope with bad reviews?
I scan them. If I find some nuggets in them, I’ll use
them, if not, I forget about them. Not
all books appeal to all people. I
embrace the ones that love my writing and that’s what keeps me writing.
Did you study writing in school, or take extra classes to
develop your craft? Or, have you learned everything on your own?
My degrees are in Math and
Physics with a Masters in Computer Engineering. I published technical papers in Journals and received awards for my
writing. But creative writing is VERY
different. I knew when I began writing creatively that I needed guidance, so I
joined a writers group. I won’t kid you;
it’s frightening when you put your first written piece out there to
strangers. But if you’re in a good supportive
writers group and you’re open to constructive criticism, you’ll definitely
grow as a writer. I also took Creative
Writing at FAU. And even then, I felt I
had more to learn. I enrolled in an
online course from an author I love, and she changed my writing
dramatically. I write with more feeling
and my characters have much more depth and backstory…
Nicolina Martin – Romance Author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
I do read, and I don't feel it
detracts me from my current work, rather it's my work that ruins my reading
because I'm so invested in my story. It's alive in me 24/7 and it's hard to get
into something else while my brain is occupied. Sadly.
Does writing energize or exhaust
you?
It varies. Sometimes thousands of
words flow out of me, and I'm getting super excited.
Sometimes, often after
having been very productive, I slam into a wall, and it goes OH so slow.
Then I
complain to everyone who have the energy, or politeness, to listen, and have to
push until I'm past the threshold. That is draining.
What do you want to accomplish with
your writing?
Someone told me recently that
reading one of my books had made her forget her chronic pain for a few hours
because she had been so immersed. THAT is what I want to give people: a little
escape into an imaginary world where you get to laugh and cry, and hold on to
your seat, and get all hot and bothered. I want people to join me in my love
for my characters and my story and have a good time.
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/nicolina-martin
Alice
J Miller – Writer of Sweet Romances
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
I used to not read whilst writing,
but as I’ve nearly always got a book in my head waiting to come out, now I do
read, but try very hard to never incorporate anything I’ve read in my current
story.
Does
writing energize or exhaust you?
It does both. When it’s hard, and
I’m squeezing out words at a rate slower than a snail in a hurry, then it’s
exhausting and I walk away feeling like a complete failure.
When the words are flying and my
fingers can’t keep up with my mind, I’m energized whilst writing, but when I
stop then I feel tired, but happy tired, if you get my meaning.
Do
you have a favorite quote about writing? What does it mean to you?
I don’t know where this came from,
but I found this ages ago. Although it’s not uplifting in any way, it always
makes me grin because it’s so true, and it’s totally self-inflicted.
Give someone a book, they’ll read
for a day.
Teach someone to write a book….and
they’ll spend a lifetime mired in paralyzing self-doubt.
I think that sums up my writing life
perfectly.
Margaret
Egrot – Playwright & YA and Literary Fiction Author
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
I always have a book on my bedside
table which is nothing to do with my WIP. It's usually a book I've picked up at
the second hand book stall I run once a month for a local community theater.
I've just been reading Milkman by Anna Burns, I'm the King of the
Castle by Susan Hill, and Small Island by Andrea Levy. Different
eras and settings, so all good escapist stories in very different ways.
Inspiring, rather than distracting.
Does
writing energize or exhaust me?
Finding reasons for not writing is
quite exhausting, as is worrying about not writing (most of the day). Taking a
grip, and writing 500 - 1,000 words in a sitting is almost spiritually energizing. (As I'm told a successful work-out in the gym can be - I don't
know, I've never tried).
How
do I cope with bad reviews?
I've only had one bad (one star)
review. It was in relation to a story I had in an anthology (Festive
Treats). My story was singled out as being dull and predictable. The next
review was for five stars and again my story was singled out - for being witty
with an unexpected ending. The juxtaposition of the reviews made me smile - it
just showed that you cannot please everybody.
Bradley Campbell –
Suspense/Romance Author
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
That’s a tough one. Honestly I find
it difficult to read for pleasure period. It’s like a chef going to a
restaurant for dinner. There’s always a part of the mind that’s subconscious,
analyzing instead of digesting.
Does
writing energize or exhaust me?
I believe good writing drains me.
But it’s a good feeling, like the exhaustion you feel after really good intercourse.
Linda Covella – Children’s Author
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
My mother was a school librarian, and
she instilled in me a love of books and reading. And I always must have a book
to read. Reading for entertainment doesn’t distract me one bit. For me, reading
while working on a story are separate, unrelated activities.
However, in a general sense, reading
other authors’ works will always help me improve my own writing. I think it’s
essential for writers to also be readers. We learn technique from others, what
to do and what not to do. We can be inspired by other books, as well.
But when I’m working on my own project,
I continue to read without being distracted from my current work-in-progress
(WIP).
What
is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
The most difficult part of writing for
me is getting the first draft written. The problem is I want to edit as I go,
finding just the right word or phrase, et cetera. This slows me down terribly.
Writers are taught to “just write,” to not worry about editing while writing
the first draft. I guess this is against my nature, shutting down my “inner
editor.” Though by now I’ve accepted the way I write, I’m still trying to
compromise and at least tell my inner editor to back off occasionally!
What
are common traps for aspiring writers?
Aspiring writers need to, first of all,
understand that writing is a craft, something that they need to learn. And we
never stop learning, never stop working at improving. Reading books is a great
learning tool; read lots in your genre, but other genres as well. Writing
classes are a huge help, especially ones that provide feedback from the
instructor and classmates.
Forming or joining a critique group is
another way to get feedback on your work. When I first started writing
seriously (pursuing publication), I was reluctant and shy to join a critique
group and have others read my work. When another writer and I formed a group
and brought in four more writers, it turned out to be one of the best things I
could have done for my writing. We learned from and helped each other not only
with our writing, but with the ins and outs of pursuing publication. Critique
partners are especially important if you plan to self-publish. You want to make
sure you’re putting out a quality product!
Finally, aspiring writers need to live
by the old cliché “Never Give Up!” It’s difficult not to get discouraged by
rejections and negative criticism. But if the criticism is constructive, take
it to heart. You may or may not decide to follow any advice, but you should
step back from the hurt you might feel and look at the criticism objectively.
And keep at it, keep improving, keep submitting. If you’re passionate about the
process, if you keep at it, keep improving, keep submitting, your dream of
publication will come true!
Cleo Scornavacca - Award-winning Author
of Adult Romance
I definitely read as much as possible, whether I’m
writing or not. I don’t feel it takes time away or detracts from my writing. In
fact, it’s a motivator. I saw a speech by Sylvia Day, one of my favorite authors,
who said you need to read and you need to read your genre, it helps to give you
better understanding, and to learn and grow.
I think it depends, if you force it and give
yourself a goal to write x-amount of words a day but force it when the words
are not there; I think it's mentally exhausting. I learned to stop and give
myself a break when warranted.
I really had to think about the question. In my
first series, Miss Taken Identity, the three books had no choice but connect,
as the stories contained cliffhangers, until they resolve. My new series, The
Wild Roses, does connect the first series to it, as the characters in each of
the four books that will be in this series, were secondary characters in Miss
Taken Identity. Yet, my newest WIP, Never Be The Same doesn’t connect
with the other series intimately, but the location… the Jersey Shore, is the
same. I want my work to be branded. I’m a Jersey Girl, born and raised and
still residing here, so I like having that as a brand and a connection, but I
don’t want to limit myself either.
I didn’t go to college. I wrote as an escape, read
books as an escape, for that matter. Now, that I’m writing as an Indie Author,
I do take online workshops, as well as classes through RWA and NJRW. I believe
you take something away each time. Sometimes it’s something small and other
times, it’s an AH HA moment. I think it’s very important. What may seem like
too much time away from writing, actually helps my writing go more smoothly.
Links:
Jane Burrelli – Erotic
Romance Author
Do you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing
project, or do you believe it will detract from your process?
I was an avid reader long before I attempted to put pen to paper and it
helped to develop my style of writing. However, depending on what I am writing
I do worry that I will subconsciously process the plot and try to be mindful
not to weave it into my own work, in which case I stop reading that particular book.
On the other hand, when I get frustrated with a plot not feeling right or the
character's personality is not matched by the action I will go back to some of
my favorite books (again depending on genre) and try to become inspired.
Sometimes I succeed in fixing the scene, other times I just need to accept I
have to scrap the scene.
Do you have a favorite quote about writing? What does it mean to you?
“If, when you wake up in the morning, you can think of nothing but writing . . . then you are a writer.”
―
Once I started writing and knew I could finish a
project, it was like unlocking a door in my mind that can never be shut. I am
always creating; new characters, new plot ideas, on my commute, walking around
town, even at work. Therefore this quote is the closest I've found that best
describes how I feel about writing, that is a part of me and I suspect always will
be.
Did you study writing in school, or take extra classes to develop your craft? Or, have you learned everything on your own?
I am usually a math and science girl, but I as mentioned I have read A LOT
of stories, to the point I can't remember them all. As a result, I am
self-taught, but it was more a subconscious process, hard to describe and often
undisciplined. On the downside, it also means I am less attuned with the
technical aspects of writing and marketing.
Website/blog - https://www.janeburrelli.com/blog
Amazon Author Page - viewauthor.at/JaneBurrelli
Tamara Thorne & Alistair Cross – Horror/Paranormal
Authors and Podcast Hosts
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
T & A: What…stop reading while we’re writing? Never! Neither of us
would ever get to read another book if we did that!
That said, there are certain things
one or the other of us may avoid reading during certain books. Tamara, for
instance, has to be very careful about reading books by Nelson DeMille that
feature a certain (favorite) character because she subconsciously picks up that
character’s dialogue/thought style, causing her own characters to begin adding,
“Or something like that,” to their own speeches.
One of our friends, a well-known
author of vampire novels, will not read other writers’ vampiric works while
writing on one of her own for fear of being influenced. Neither of us worries
about that; we’re both likely to read in the genre we’re writing in in order to
make sure we don’t accidentally do something that’s already been done.
Do you want each book to stand on
its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between
each book?
T & A: While we write both series and standalone novels, we have a definite concordance, a universe of our own creation. We enjoy referencing events, places, and characters from our other novels - series or standalone, collaborations or solos - because we like to watch the Thorne & Cross Universe expand. Also, readers enjoy finding the ‘Easter eggs’ we leave for them almost as much as we enjoy hiding them.
Thorne's Website: https://www.tamarathorne.com/
Cross' Website: https://www.alistaircross.com/
Skye McNeil – Romance Author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
While working on a current writing
project, I believe it is beneficial to take time out of my schedule to read for
pleasure. I've read several books at the same time I've worked on my own story,
and sometimes, ideas come to me while reading that wouldn't otherwise happen.
In my experience, the more I read, the more I write.
If
you’ve ever had it, or might at some point, how do you cure a case of writer’s
block?
Writer's block happens to everyone.
At least, I'm fairly certain it does. Whenever that dreaded block comes, I go
to my massive romance movie collection and pop in something that will break up
my thoughts. I've found the Hallmark Channel movies also help when it comes to
writer's block. Basically, anything to get my mind off my current writing and
on something else still related to romance helps cure my writer's block.
Mary
L. Schmidt – (pen
names S. Jackson, A. Raymond, M. Schmidt and Gene D. Donley) - Multi-genre
author of personal memoirs, cookbook, art book, and illustrated children’s
books
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
Yes, I do read every day for entertainment and I’m currently reading two
different books in two different genres. Reading doesn’t detract from my
writing abilities at all. I don’t always write a lot each day and some days I
write nothing at all, but I do feel it is important to read every day, if
possible. Having written two memoirs, it is nice to have a break and enjoy
another person’s book. Honestly, reading helps with building the craft of
writing. Some writers think they must write every day, but I am not in that
group. I write children’s illustrated books so that means I jot down ideas, run
them through my head, toss the words around with my husband, and then I develop
essential parts for the story. Each picture book requires one paragraph for
each page of the 24-page illustrated book. Lots of tweaking is done. Once I
have each paragraph finely tuned, I start my illustrations. Usually I design my
cover first and, of course, the book synopsis. I also read and visit sites so
that I have researched material dealing with each book I write. All in all,
reading inspires me to write and build my craft better in a way that is truly
inspiring. I feel that they go hand in hand.
What are common traps for aspiring writers?
Oh - those
pesky traps, they do exist. New writers should not have a family member or
friend who excelled in English as their editor. It just won’t work. Do the
research and find a good editor in your price range that works for you. The
first book a newbie publishes can make or break the growth of the writer and
subsequent books. Vanity publishers who promise a lot but cost the writer
thousands of dollars - this is a huge issue and it isn’t going away. Beware of scam
artists as they are everywhere all over the world. They will call you and send
emails. Don’t fall for this kind of trap. Do your research.
My twitter handle is @MaryLSchmidt
Amazon Author Page is https://www.amazon.com/S-Jackson/e/B013NRRKR2
and my blog is https://whenangelsfly.net
Holly
Bargo – Romance and Fantasy Author
Do you read books for entertainment while
you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract from
your process?
Most authors earn their
living from professions other than writing. Somewhere I read that fewer than 10
percent of authors earn more than $1,000 annually in royalties—certainly not
enough to subsidize any sort of lifestyle involving food, clothing, shelter,
transportation, or healthcare. However, few I’ve encountered also work as a
freelance writer and editor or ghostwrite for clients.
Because I might have
multiple content production projects for clients at any given time, I’ve
learned to compartmentalize so that the storyline of one ghostwriting project
does not bleed into another. Because of this, the question of whether I read
books for entertainment while I’m working on a writing projects can be answered
with an emphatic “yes.”
That ability to compartmentalize
hinders me when I try to make a mental note of a particularly effective phrase
or expression I read elsewhere and want to use for my own work. I always
forget.
What are common traps for aspiring writers?
Because writers—like
lawyers and physicians—practice their
profession, there’s always more to learn, always room for improvement. To that
end, I lurk and participate in various online writers’ forums. Some forums
become exercises in tedium, as new writers default to picking the brains of experienced
writers rather than taking the initiative to conduct their own research. They
pose the same basic questions over and over again.
The top four common
traps for aspiring writers, in my opinion, are: 1) sloppy grammar, 2) passive
voice, 3) failure to edit, 4) lack of realism. Let’s take these in turn.
Correct grammar does
not automatically result in good writing. Good writing only breaks grammatical
conventions when doing so makes sense and enhances the effect or impact of the
written words. Grammar falls under the concept that writing is craft: anyone
who would style himself a professional writer ought to master the craft first.
If a writer breaks grammatical convention with impunity, he shows a disregard
for the language and a sloppiness that testifies to the writer’s laziness.
Passive voice does not
violate any grammatical conventions; however, it drones. It bores. It tells. As
I explained to one client, “showing” does not mean including a lot of
expository description, which is usually presented as a series of declarative
statements. Use active voice. It’s stronger. Think of it this way: active voice
pulls the reader through the story; passive voice pushes. Have you ever tried
to push a rope?
Many new authors (and
some not so new) fail to complete the most basic step of editing. Every draft needs an editor. No ifs, ands, or buts
about it. Competent, professional editing costs money, oftentimes a lot of
money. Analytic skill and experience don’t come cheaply. Self-editing is always
advised, but it’s not sufficient. An objective third party who’s not afraid to
be candid serves the author’s and the book’s best interests.
Finally, even the most
out-of-this-world fantasy or science fiction story requires realistic elements
that ground the reader. That means doing one’s research. Whether the problem
lies in anachronisms or other details, readers will identify them and leave
scathing reviews pointing out those errors. In short, if a reader can trust the
author with the small, easily verified details, then he’ll follow the author
into the most absurd flights of fancy. Sweat the details: they matter.
Every word counts.
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Holly-Bargo/e/B00JRK6VGQ
Lynn
Chantale – Multicultural Romance Author
Do you read books for entertainment while
you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract from
your process?
Reading is fundamental. If I don’t read,
it’s like not breathing. I often will read while I’m writing. I write
contemporary romance, but love to read historical romances, suspense/thrillers,
or other romantic suspense stories. Reading is as much a part of me as writing.
My day doesn’t flow right unless I’m able to read— at least for a few minutes a
day.
Does
writing energize or exhaust you?
It really depends on the scene at hand. If
it is an emotional scene, capturing the emotions will exhaust me. However, if
I’m writing a fight scene or something with a lot of tension I stay pretty
revved.
Author Links:
Autumn Bardot – historical fiction & historical erotica author
Do you read books for
entertainment while you’re working on a writing project or do you believe it
will detract from the process?
My career gets in the
way of full time author-ing (LOL), so when I get home every precious minute is
spent writing. Until I hit The Wall. At around 9pm my creative brain—up since
5am—just kind of melts into blah. Forget writing a first draft or even revising
sentences! When that happens, I grab a paperback. My eyes, by then, are tired
from looking at a computer screen. I’ll read anything but a novel related to my
current project. In fact, I try to read something outside my genre. I like
action/adventure and thrillers but don’t write them. There’s a lot to learn
from reading other genres. For example, I re-read some of my favorite Agatha
Christie who-dunnits and marveled at how in just a few words, she conveyed
so much about a character. Lesson learned, Dame Agatha!
What kind of research do
you do, and how long do you spend researching a book project?
I love researching. The
more I do, the more the plot and characters and conflicts unfold. Internet
research is a start and good for some things, but I prefer going to the primary
source. I’ll hunt down the expert and buy their book, often out-of-print, and a
bit on the pricy side. That book gets read several times, written in,
highlighted, and dog-eared. (Try not to cringe, the books are well-loved.) I
make charts and lists as I read.
Several books were
purchased for The Impaler’s Wife, a 1000-pg reference to clothing
through the ages, an out-of-print primary source, and several on medieval life.
(What can I say, I love books!) One book bought for Dragon Lady (summer
2019) had more information in the footnotes than all the stuff on the internet!
There was one exception. After two months of typing in various key words, I
finally found a photocopied journal of the English sailor held captive by Zheng
Yi Sao, the female pirate in Dragon Lady. I was ecstatic. For The
Emperor’s Assassin (fall 2019) I bought several reference books on toxic
plants, Rome, and Roman Emperors. For Confessions of a Sheba Queen (Jan
2020, Cleis Press) I purchased books about ancient Saba.
For me, diligent
research is the name of the research game.
I research each
historical fiction for about a month and keep researching as the need arises.
One of my pet peeves about reading historical fiction is when the author
provides no detail. What kind of tree did the character sit under? What food
did they eat? I want to see, hear, smell, feel, and taste the story. For the
erotic short stories, Legends of Lust, I spend two days researching
each legend and cross-referenced it before writing a single word. And then I
still had to research to add detail concerning indigenous species, geography,
clothing, et cetera.
Did you study writing in
school or take extra classes to develop your craft? Or have you learned on your
own?
I have a degree in
English literature and teach literary analysis and writing in a very rigorous
worldwide program. Teaching literary analysis most definitely sharpened my
skills! The power and purpose of themes, motifs, symbols, syntax, punctuation,
foreshadowing, etc —you know all that author stuff (aka, authorial
techniques).
What it did not teach me
was how to write cleanly. How to use less words to say more. How to pace. How
to make each sentence sing. That I learned on my own. Knowing something and
doing it successfully are miles apart. I tell new writers that they really
need to dissect their favorite books word by word, sentence by sentence. I
over-wrote in the beginning. Used too many superfluous words. Now I know
what to trim. And, of course, having a professional editor's feedback is a big
boost. I get rid of all my -ings now.
Confession! After two semesters of
an MFA program, I dropped out. I had hoped for some intensive advice, but
received only the very vaguest of suggestions. My agent at the time gave
me better advice. Conflict emotion conflict emotion. Emotion emotion emotion!
Beverley Bateman – romantic suspense author and blogger
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
Unless
I’m judging a contest I don’t read books in my writing genre for entertainment.
I feel it could affect the way I’m writing, interfere with my plotting, the
characters or the process. I can read other genres or non-fiction while working
on my WIP.
Do
you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of
work with connections between each book?
It’s
a combination of both. I want each book to stand on its own and tie up most of
the loose ends. But, I want the same main characters, the general overall plot
and a strand of plot to connect the books together, and hopefully encourage a
reader to want to read all the books in that series.
Laura Tolomei – Erotic Romance with an Edge
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
No, they detract from my writing process. When I'm
writing, I'm so taken with what I'm creating that I can't stay focused on any
other story. I've gotta be immersed in my world, which guarantees the erotic
earthquake I'm famous for, the erotic romance with an edge you find in my
Virtus Saga, ReScue and Soulmate Series, not to mention the horror and
historical novels.
Does
writing energize or exhaust you?
It definitely energizes me! No doubt about it! When
I'm writing, I get on such a roll that I could keep at it for an entire night
without even getting tired. And without needing any coffee either. :-)
Do
you have a favorite quote about writing? What does it mean to you?
I have a favorite quote about life that applies also
to writing:
"However you lived your life, you are the key
to change your future." (Laura Tolomei)
I wrote this in Re-Scue,
Book 1 of the ReScue Series, and applied to writing it means that you can start
doing it any time if you ever wanted to do it. It means that you're never too
old to start anything, writing included. And this is a reminder to myself since
I've loved writing from age 10, but didn't dare go professional until I was 40.
Website: https://www.lallagatta.com
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLauraTolomei
Nancy
Christie – award-winning multi-genre author (fiction and
non-fiction) and workshop presenter
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
I do read for
entertainment but not in the same subject area or genre that I’m currently
working on. For example, when I am writing short stories, I stay away from
other short fiction—in part because I don’t want to be intimidated by the work
of others! Right now I’m finishing my second book on writing (Rut-Busting Book for Authors), with
plans to start revisions on a novel (women’s fiction) once this one has been
turned in. So I can read similar novels now, but once I start revising my own,
I’ll put them away. This way I can focus on the work at hand without comparing
my writing to those in the same category.
Do
you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of
work with connections between each book?
In the ideal author
world, all my books would be in the
same category and genre. That way, my fan base would grow exponentially since
one book would generate a following for the next. But, as I said, that would be
in the ideal author world.
Unfortunately, I live
in the real world, which means I have
a mixed bag in terms of my book: my first book (The Gifts of Change) was inspirational/motivational, followed by Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories
(literary short fiction) and then Rut-Busting
Book for Writers (non-fiction), with two more coming down the pike: Rut-Busting Book for Authors (non-fiction)
and Peripheral Visions and Other Stories
(literary short fiction).
So I’m a bit of a split
personality when it comes to my author persona, which makes building a
following and author identity much
harder. That being said, my plan once the next writing book is done is to go
back to fiction—both short stories and hopefully some novels—since that would
be the area in which I would want to expand my body of work.
www.nancychristie.com [website]
https://www.amazon.com/author/nancychristie
[Amazon author page]
Kat
Schuessler – Romantic Suspense Author
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
I always read books. I just make sure to read
erotica when I'm writing so I can keep my head “in the game”.
What
kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching a book
project?
I try to only research things that will directly
affect the plot, but I sometimes get carried away and research little things,
such as the specific layout or hiring procedures of a business.
Does
writing energize or exhaust you?
It really depends on the scene. If it's a
tear-jerking scene, it exhausts me because it can emotionally wear me out, but
if it's an erotic or fight scene, I feel exhilarated and energized.
Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/KatSchuesslerBooks/
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Kat-Schuessler/e/B00WTCQPZQ/
Viviana MacKade – writer of romance
suspense and fantasy, and blogger
Do you read books for
entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it
will detract from your process?
I
do read. I can’t not.
Not
just for the sheer pleasure reading gives me (you don’t become a novelist for
money, so you have to love a well-narrated story in the first place), but for
making me a better writer.
I
can’t help but analyze the story I’m reading. When I find something I like (a
smooth transition, a description, the explanation of a character’s behavior
that’s weaved naturally into the story) I take a note like I would for a class.
Same
thing when I find something I don’t like. I remember the “mistake” the author
made, and I try not to do the same in my book.
So
yes, I read.
Not
everything, though.
I
don’t touch any of my favorite authors.
I
look up to their writing, their style, so much, I’m afraid their voice could
trickle into mine. You know, like when you’re a kid and try to simulate your
superhero catchphrases and voice, or her/his mannerisms. Yeah, not cool.
Also,
I like to keep their stories as a price form when I’m done with a story. My
reward for being a good girl and finishing my story is reading one (or two) of
theirs.
What do you want to accomplish with your writing?
This is a
question dear to my heart.
The answer
is, and it’s always been: nothing.
Nothing at
all.
I’m a
strong believer that the world right now needs:
- sweet
boys that will turn into smart, strong, and sweet men (my boy is on the sweet
side, and I’m trying to raise him to be a man with an open heart, a quick
brain, and unafraid of being whoever he is. I’m doing my part here.).
- girls
strong enough to grow up into women, and not men with breasts (a woman is not
strong when she acts like a man, and I’m talking about the masculine warrior
stereotype. She certainly has the right to decide what she wants to do, to be,
and be rewarded as much as a man would for her trouble. But doing what a man
does doesn’t equal being strong, or better. You know what? Why don’t we leave
alone the entire issue of what women do better, or what men do better? For
years it’s been a competition. We should start to see it for what it can be: a
collaboration, where men and women bring something different and equally useful
on the table based on who they are, not their genre).
- a global
chill
- more
laughter
With my
books, the last two points are the whole point. I don’t want to teach. I surely
don’t want to preach. I don’t want to be smart or profound. I just want to
write the story banging in my head, pleading to be released. My hope is that
people will read it and forget troubles and ugliness for a while. That’s it. If
my stories can do that, then I’ve accomplished what I want from my writing.
The best way to
know me is through my website (and the books I host): http://www.viviana-mackade.blog/
Sherry Soule – author of thrilling paranormal
romance and urban fantasy reads
Do you read books for entertainment while you’re
working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract from your
process?
Yes,
I read daily, seven days a week.
I
feel as if I can’t be a good storyteller without being an avid reader, too.
And
no, it doesn’t detract me, but other books do often inspire me. When I’m
writing a new genre, I read everything I can get my hands on to study the
tropes, the character ARCs, et cetera, so that my own book will meet reader
expectations.
What kind of
research do you do, and how long do you spend researching a book project?
Each
story or series is different, but I mainly do online research and buy books on
any subject that I need to study.
My
current work-in-progress, Shadow Magic,
is about a necromancer who attends a magical college to search for her missing
sister. I realized that just diving into my story and trying to write it
without much world-building was causing some major plot holes and character
development issues. I needed a better understanding of my world and its
history, as well as my character’s supernatural abilities—mainly my heroine’s
necromancy powers.
So I did a lot
of research and wrote out an exhaustive lexicon regarding necromancy. It took
me several days and some fictional creativity to compose a list of the powers
and magic used by a necromancer. (I might end up including it as a glossary in
the actual book.)
Then
I created a world-building and character profile document, which helped me
immensely to plot the story. The fun part about developing a fictional, magical
world is that you have the freedom to create a vivid and detailed history for
your characters. Plus, with a supernatural-type story, it is so important to
fully comprehend each character’s powers and limitations, and any consequences
from using those abilities.
But creating a
magical college setting was tougher than I expected. Not to mention, inventing
a believable paranormal population. But I think it’s much easier to write in a
world that the author knows intimately.
Then there is
the tough part on top of all that to include a mystery plot with clues,
suspects, and a red herring. I’m still trying to work out the details for the
mystery and how the amateur sleuth solves the crime. So I have been studying
guidebooks that I bought on mystery writing that are helping me to further
develop my story. So yeah, I do a lot research.
Sally Brandle – Clean Romantic Suspense Author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
I’ve been a psycho reader since I
first walked the steps into Butman-Fish Public Library as a kindergartener
holding my mom’s hand. Now I juggle my top choices with fulfilling promises to
comment on upcoming books of critique partners. If a fictional book I’ve chosen
opens with too many characters or grammar issues, I won’t waste my precious
reading time.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying
to build a body of work with connections between each book?
My first series, Love Thrives in
Emma Springs, contains recurring characters from a picturesque Montana
community. I write the stories to stand alone, but my personal recommendation
would be to start with The Hitman’s Mistake. The second series I’m
working on, Double Vision—Good Science in Bad Hands, has a villain who tries
different methods to destroy America in each book. Disturbing Departure
opens that science fact-tion romantic suspense series, as yet unpublished.
What do you want to accomplish with your writing?
I hope to encourage friendship and
loyalty in my stories, and on the safety side, encourage people to trust their
instincts. Reading Gavin de Becker’s non-fiction book, The Gift of Fear,
opened my eyes on how our brain creates red flags.
https://www.amazon.com/Sally-Brandle/e/B07DNGP1N7
Bella
Jeanisse – Author of Adult Rockstar Romance and More
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
It
depends on the time of day. It can get my mind going in the morning, yet by the
end of the night, I’m beyond tired.
What are common traps for aspiring writers?
Not
using beta readers or doing enough research.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are
you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
Almost
everything I write lately is inspired by another book of mine, so I am building
multiple worlds where books and series connect with each other.
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you
spend researching a book project?
Most
of my research is done on the internet. I also ask questions in my fan group
about places I’ve never been or occupations I’ve not held. It can take minutes,
hours or even days to complete research, but I tend to do it as I write, so
it’s hard to pinpoint it.
What is the most difficult part of your artistic
process?
Transitioning
from scene to scene can drive me batty. Yet, for some books, the hardest part
is ending at the right moment with things wrapped up.
If you’ve ever had it, or might at some point, how
do you cure a case of writer’s block?
I
get it here and there. My typical fix is to work on something else, write
another book, edit something I’ve completed or want to revamp, or just plan out
chapters.
What inspired you to write? or What inspired your
latest work?
It
began as therapy when I was a teenager and I enjoyed it so much, I couldn’t
stop. My current WIP is book 3 in a series. A friend I met through my books was
inspired it. Kathy and I were talking about book 2 and she told me something I
hadn’t thought of and it just fit perfectly. That, of course, blew up into a
book!
What do you want to accomplish with your writing?
I
want to give people a world to get lost in.
If you're a published author, what has changed in
the book industry? For example, is it harder to get a break and get readers? Has the
atmosphere in the writing world changed?
Things
have changed a lot in the past 7 years. The market has been flooded with books,
which makes it harder to get readers’ attention. Major changes on multiple
sites has also made visibility difficult. More readers expect free books, which
also hurts our bottom line.
How do you cope with bad reviews?
If
it contains constructive criticism, I use it to improve my writing. If it is
clearly malicious, I may report it. But most of the time, I just roll my eyes
and move on.
Did you study writing in school, or take extra
classes to develop your craft? Or, have you learned everything on your own?
I
learned most by trial and error on my own.
Isobelle Cate – Romance Author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
Yes, I do! Sometimes when my mojo decides to take a
vacay and leaves me hanging, I resort to reading books from authors I love. It
doesn't detract from the process at all and, in fact, helps with it. I
tend to read the book and analyze the author's way of writing at the same time.
It helps me hone my craft and makes me see where I can improve.
Do you want each book to stand on its
own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each
book?
I was just thinking about it this afternoon. Most,
if not all, of my books can be read as a standalone in that there are only two
main characters for each book, but I put a lead to the next book at the end. But
lately as the plot becomes more complicated, the later books cannot be read as
a standalone.
What do you want to accomplish with your
writing?
I want to be able to reach as wide an audience as I
possibly can and to entertain readers around the globe.
McKenna
Dean
– paranormal romance
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
Since I’m almost always
working on a writing project, to not read during the process would mean never
reading. I couldn’t imagine not reading any more than I could imagine not
eating or not breathing! That may sound like hyperbole, but I’ve been reading
or was read to as long as I can remember. My mom encouraged reading in our
family, and we all looked forward to the bi-monthly trip to the library, where
we’d check out as many as sixty books for a two week period.
Today, reading is what
gets me through a tough day at work, allows me to put the frustrations and
anxieties of being an adult aside for a few hours, and just take me out of
myself and my concerns for a while. It’s the greatest gift we as writers can
give readers, and that’s why I write.
But…I do have to be
careful what I read while I’m working on a project. I don’t want to subconsciously
absorb what I’m reading and have it slip into my own work. So I tend not to
read in the same genre I’m working on. If I’m writing a historical set in the
1950s, I’ll read historicals set in the 1800s. I write mostly paranormal
romance, so until I type the words “The End” and send my draft off to the
editor, I’ll stick to cozy mysteries and military space opera. I’ll indulge my
love for my own genre by binge-reading about panther shifters in that narrow
window between projects. It seems to work for me so far!
If you’ve ever had it, or might at some
point, how do you cure a case of writer’s block?
I think to cure writer’s
block, you have to understand the root cause. Sometimes the answer is to power
through. Or skip ahead to write the scene you can clearly see, and come back to
the sticky scene later. Sometimes the answer is to take a break from writing
and do something else creative for a change, like paint, or make crafts. But
you don’t know which method to choose if you don’t understand why you’re blocked.
If you’re blocked because
your creative well has run dry, powering through probably isn’t the answer.
Doing something else for a while may help. If you’re between projects, having
just come off a major effort, or are waiting to hear about a publishing
contract, be kind to yourself. Farmers know if you don’t let a field rest
between harvests, the soil will become depleted of nutrients and the next
crop won’t thrive. If you’re stuck on a particular scene, you’re probably
trying to make your characters do something that doesn’t make sense to the
story. Skip around or muscle through.
If the words won’t come at
all, give yourself a few days off and do something mindless but physical. I
love taking the dogs for long rambling walks. Frequently I have a ‘eureka’
moment during these strolls, and come back knowing how to solve my problem.
How do you cope with bad reviews?
I tend not to read reviews
as a whole. Sure, I check out my reviews when I release a new story, eagerly
looking for signs the book was well-received and that people like it, but after
those first couple of reviews, I rarely go back and check for more. Reviews are
rarely written with the author in mind. It’s someone sharing their opinion of a
story they loved, hated, or felt indifferent toward. While there can be great
value in the nature of your reviews (if everyone loves or hates the same thing,
you should pay attention to that) In general, the truly nasty review, while it
may sting, usually has one of two goals. Either the poster wishes to destroy
you so utterly that you give up writing altogether or they are playing to an
audience who is there for the cutting remarks and nasty gifs. Either way, they
have no power over me. I’m not going to stop writing no matter what. And I’m not
the audience the nasty reviewer is seeking to appease. In some ways, the ugly
reviews are easier to ignore. Their purpose is to harm. It’s the “meh’ reviews
that bother me more. They mean I failed to connect with the reader on some
level, and I need to figure out how to do things better the next time out.
Website: http://mckennadeanromance.com/
Amazon page (international link): https://geni.us/McKennaDean
Devika Fernando – Sweet
and Sensual Contemporary Romance Author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
I definitely read in my free time,
no matter where in the writing process I might be. Reading is my biggest hobby,
and by focusing on someone else's words and getting lost in a story, I can stop
dwelling on my writing. I even read the same genre, it doesn't distract me.
What kind of research do you do, and
how long do you spend researching a book project?
I often write 'international' or
'multicultural' romance, and that involves researching a setting. For example,
my latest royal romance, The Indian Prince's Scandalous Bride, is set
in a fictitious city in India's state Rajasthan. I do all my research online.
Basics before writing so I have something to work with and center my idea on.
Then I read articles, watch videos, search for images, sometimes incorporate
travel accounts from real tourists who've seen the sights of a setting. It's
such fun, though sometimes a detail needs to be verified with someone who
actually lives in that country or city.
Debbie De Louise – Mysteries and
More
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
Although I read less when I'm writing, I still
read for entertainment. As a librarian, I write staff picks for our library
and usually review a book a month. I'm also responsible for ordering the
fiction and mystery books for our collection, so I need to be familiar with
those books. I've been trying to read and review more debut and Indie
authors.
Do
you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of
work with connections between each book?
Each book of my Cobble Cove mystery series can
stand alone because I add backstory from the previous books, although many
readers prefer to start from the beginning of the series to become familiar
with the characters. I also write standalone novels and short stories. Most
of them are mysteries, but I also enjoy dabbling in other genres from time to
time.
Website/blog/newsletter sign up: https://debbiedelouise.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Debbie-De-Louise/e/B0144ZGXPW/
|
Leigh
Podgorski – Multi-genre Author
Do you read books for
entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it
will detract from your process?
This
is such an excellent question because it calls into query the entire
relationship between writers and reading. I have heard many writers say they do
not read – especially not while they are in the midst of working on their own
project. Their reasons vary, but the most common are: they fear they will be
swayed by the writer’s style and even if subconsciously, begin to incorporate that
style into their own project; they fear they will be intimidated by comparison;
writing is hard work, and they fear they will too easily be swept up in the
enjoyment of the book and it will then be too difficult to return to the grind
of doing their own work.
Let’s
look at these fears one by one. The fear of being so influenced by another
writer’s style that you will be unable to retain your own. As a new writer just
beginning your journey, how do you find your style? Your personal way of
presenting your words, your story, your brand? Sure, there are numerous classes
you can take, groups you can join, degrees you can earn. But what is the bottom
line, the thing you must do? Write. You must go through the fire and write.
And
what is one fool-proof way you can discover greatness in writing? Read. Read
the great writers. Read Twain, Bronte, Fitzgerald, Margaret Atwood, Steinbeck,
or whoever is tracking as a best-selling author right now. How do they handle
that tricky transition? How does Christie so perfectly plot murder? How does
Poe manage to make our skin crawl so unforgettably? What is so funny about Mark
Twain after all these decades? These are your master teachers and your tools.
You might even give yourself an exercise to imitate some of these greats’
style. Then re-write the piece in your own style. It is only by writing and
reading that you will find your style. Once you do, no one can take it from
you.
Will
you be intimated by these greats? Probably. That’s why they are great. But
let’s turn this on its head. What’s the other side of that coin? Inspiration.
Who has not been inspired by Shakespeare? His turn of a phrase. His economy of
language. Christie was once considered the Queen of Mystery. Over time, her
star has diminished. Many now scoff at her stuffy parlor mysteries so easy to
peg. She has been surpassed, it has been said, by many others such as Patricia
Highsmith, P.D.James, and Ngaio Marsh. I’ll bet all of them grew up reading
Agatha Christie. I know I did. Reading is
inspiring. And sometimes it works the other way. How many times have you
picked up a book and thought, I can do
better than that. That is your clarion call, and books are your guide.
Ah….now
to the crux of the issue, perhaps. Writing is hard work. We can get lost in our
world of books. That’s easy. The best definition of writing I ever heard was:
Writing is applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair. Working on
a specific project is very hard. The initial phases are fun—maybe even more fun
and care-free than reading. Usually, there is such a creative high, you feel
like you are flying, you are walking amongst the clouds and can do anything.
But then there comes the nitty-gritty: it might be the second part of the
novel, where you have to nail down facts; it might be all that advanced PR and
you hate marketing; you might have bumped into a flaw and realize you have
stringent re-writes that must be done before you can continue. Reach for that
brand- new fantasy album and fly-a-way! Yes, by all means, do. Or walk your
cute pooch. Or call a friend. And when that’s done, go to your desk, or set
your lap- top upon your lap and tell yourself: I’ve hit a snag. So, today, I only need to write for one hour. And
honor that. Even if all you write is jibberish. Once you apply the seat of the
pants, I bet you will write for far more than one hour. I always do. Then with
well-earned glee, I sink into that wondrous book.
So,
does reading distract from your/my project? Only in the most healing way. For
me, reading is an inspiration, a time-out, a reward. Reading is the balance to
my hard work. Writing is self-discipline. You must be able to divide up your
work day into sections where you allow yourself to write, write, write. Write
through self-doubt, and “I just don’t feel like it.” And while you’re writing,
read. Yes, read to reward yourself, for entertainment, to escape. But also,
read to inspire yourself, to learn, to grow. Writing and reading go hand in
hand. And someday, or even today, some other struggling author may be taking a
break right now—with your book in her hands.
What inspired
your latest work?
My latest project is a novella Child of the Western Frontier that is included in the anthology Tales From Big Country.
I find this quite an interesting tale. My life as a writer
has not been an easy path. I think this is true for most Independent Authors.
The flood gates opened for us with self-publishing, which has been a blessing.
But along with that has come millions of books that we are in competition with,
and the field and competition is overwhelming.
I am a member of many writers’ groups online and off and
hear my fellow authors state so many times how near to giving up they are. I,
too, have been so very close to hanging up my spurs.
One time was on January 1, 2017. I was done. Then I opened
my email. Inside was a letter from Solstice Publishing. They had accepted my
Western Contemporary Romance, Western
Song for publication.
Western Song went on to receive the Readers’ Favorite Bronze Award for
Western Literature in 2018. A few months ago, a well- known Western writer
named Kwen D. Griffeth contacted me out of the big blue sky and presented the
Tales anthology project. He found me through the Readers’ Favorite award, which
he had won himself a few years back.
I was walking on clouds! Okay, then reality set in. I
needed 3,000 words in one week, and at least 30,000 words by May 15th,
less than three months.
Yikes!!!
Everything else became second place. It was all about the
book.
I was starting from zero. Nada. Nothing.
So, I went into a brown study and thought.
I lost my mother due to cancer when I was seventeen years
old. That death blew a hole in our tightly knit family. My father couldn’t
handle her death, and basically, I was left alone with my sadness and grief.
A few years later, still grieving, I received a phone call
from a college roommate asking if I wanted to join her in Old Snowmass,
Colorado.
I spent several years in that blessed splendid land. Those
mountains spoke so deeply to me, that I have written a trilogy of plays based
there that was then adapted to a novel and a screenplay.
But those “Shining Mountains,” as the Ute Indians call
them, were not done with me yet. When Wid Bastion and Kwen Griffeth called on
me to join their anthology and I withdrew into a brown study, when I came out,
I knew what to write about. Once again, I would take myself back to that
gorgeous country, The Roaring Fork Valley, and the time I spent there grieving
and recovering from my mother’s shocking death.
That was my starting point. Authors are often asked—where
do your stories come from? Everywhere. A piece of dialogue overheard. A person
glimpsed that grows into a character. A place. The Roaring Fork Valley was that
place. But as I contemplated the story, my main character began to grow. She
was not me. She was herself: Rayne
Falken and she had her own story to tell.
And tell it she would, if I would only listen. And so, I
did. I listened to Rayne, and to Zander Quinn and to Matthias Stalking Grey
Wolf, and to Rayne’s father John Ray, and to their past and to their dreams of
the future.
I enjoyed the experience so much, that I have decided to
make another trilogy out of this story. I just can’t quit those Shining
Mountains, or the myriad characters who inhabit them.
AMAZON PAGE: https://www.amazon.com/Leigh-Podgorski/e/B005P57NEQ
Kayelle
Allen
– Author of the Bringer of Chaos Series
Do you read books for entertainment while you’re
working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract from your
process?
I read constantly, both for
entertainment and to learn. I believe that an author who does not read is 1)
denying herself the same pleasure she wants her readers to experience and 2)
missing out on what's going on in market. How can you write with a fresh
approach if you don't even know what's happening? Reading is research, study,
and entertainment all in one.
Does
writing energize or exhaust you?
Writing energizes me. I have to stop
myself from sitting too long by setting alarms. At the end of the day, because
I've spent so much time working, I'm tired in a different way than if I had
done physical work.
Did
you study writing in school, or take extra classes to develop your craft? Or,
have you learned everything on your own?
I took formal classes, but I am
mostly self-taught. I have a big library of books about writing and I use them.
In the last year, I've probably read a dozen or more books on the topic, plus
more blog posts than I can count. Recently, I've been studying the Save the Cat
format and even bought the software. It's a great tool for structuring a story
and provides a language to use when discussing it. My writer friends who are
studying it also know exactly what part of a story I'm writing if I say I wrote
the break into two, or the dark night of the soul. I am rarely without a book
on the topic of writing. In addition, I am in two critique groups and we often
discuss and share books about writing.
Jane
Riddell – Writer
of contemporary accessible literary fiction novels and humorous novellas
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
Yes, I do.
Reading never distracts me - I
usually only read books when I’m in bed - and often is helpful as it is a
chance to study how other authors write.
If I like their style, I can then learn how to adopt it in my own
work. If there are things about the
writing that I don’t like, it acts as a reminder of how not to do things -
including too much backstory; go off at a tangent, on-the-nose dialogue, over use
of metaphor and simile – the list is endless!
Did you study
writing in school, or take extra classes to develop your craft? Or, have you
learned everything on your own?
I did a
Masters in Creative Writing which taught me a bit, but unfortunately was too
based on literary theory to be as helpful as I’d hoped. What has helped is reading books on the craft
of writing, working with a mentor and receiving feedback from fellow writers.
If
you’ve ever had it, or might at some point, how do you cure a case of writer’s
block?
When I experienced writer’s block, I
spent months reading technical books on writing and making copious notes. I also blogged a lot at this time. So although I wasn’t progressing with my WIP,
I was still doing some writing and learning more about the craft. What helped get me out of it, I think, was
working with a mentor for a year. Having someone engage so thoroughly with my
work helped me finish writing the book. It didn’t happen immediately… I was lucky enough to work with someone who
charged an affordable (and unrealistically low) rate.
Sometimes writer’s block can be
caused by other things going on in a writer’s life, which is unavoidable. With
me, it was because my aunt had suffered a bad stroke and I’d also had a
difficult experience when studying for my Masters (ironically). When life is
difficult, the writer might need to take a break until she/he has the energy to
continue writing.
Writer’s block may also happen if a
writer isn’t happy with the WIP, or parts of it. In this case, it’s important to weed out
parts that don’t work, painful as this might be, and rewrite.
Perceived wisdom is to make yourself write
each day, even if it’s just for half an hour. The enthusiasm may then return.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaneRiddell
Giulietta
M. Spudich – Children's author
Do you read books for entertainment
while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract
from your process?
It depends where I am in the
process. If I am brainstorming and allowing my characters and story to evolve
reflectively, in 'creation phase', I don't read fiction novels. But if I'm
editing and I have long periods between sessions, I read loads of fiction. My
mind normally tells me if it wants input or not- so I don't have to make the
choice in a conscious way- I either want to read someone else's story or live
with my own.
Do you have a favorite quote about
writing? What does it mean to you?
“The world always seems brighter
when you've just made something that wasn't there before.” -Neil Gaiman
It brings to my mind the inspiring
part of creating a character or scene or story, and making the world a little
bit fuller.
Cindy
Tomamichel – Multi-genre author – escape the everyday
I do NaNoWriMo (National Write a Novel in November)
every year, and the focus I need to produce 50,000 words in a month means I
don’t read during November – mid December. The rest of the time I read to
refresh myself, and to get some distance
from my own characters. And, of course, because books are awesome!
Social media is an enormous time-suck. There is also a tendency for new writers to talk more about their writing than actually write. Writers write!
Do you have a favorite quote about writing? What does it mean to you?
“I
have been successful probably because I have always realized that I knew
nothing about writing and have merely tried to tell an interesting story
entertainingly.” - Edgar Rice Burroughs
This means a lot to me as I grew up reading his
Tarzan books, and try to make sure my books are full of action. It also forces
me not to be too precious about a book, which is after all, something I make up
to entertain people.
D.E. Haggerty
– Writer, Blogger, Book Addict
Do you read books for entertainment while you’re working
on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract from your process?
I can’t live without reading. Like, seriously. Cannot
live without it. So, I’m always reading. But I have recently found that I can’t
read rom coms when I’m working on one, as I start changing my character’s sense
of humor to match whatever I’m reading. Yikes!
Mark H. Newhouse – multi-award
winning author of children's and adult books and storiesDo you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract from your process?
I love reading, but find it difficult to find time when I'm in the heart of a writing project. I think all writers need to be readers to master our art and see what others are doing.
What inspired you to write? or What inspired your latest work?
My latest novel, The Devil's Bookkeepers, was inspired when I discovered a copy of the chronicle of the Holocaust ghetto my parents were among the few to survive. I wrote this suspenseful novel as a tribute to them and everyone who experiences hate and genocide, past, present and future.
What do you want to accomplish with your writing?
When I write my award-winning humorous mysteries, Welcome to Monstrovia, The Case of the Disastrous Dragon, and The Case of the Crazy Chickenscratches, I want children to see underdog heroes who use their intelligence, courage and resourcefulness, to solve problems rather than violence and magic. I want them to laugh as they learn about the law and solve mysteries that can only happen in Monstrovia.
www.newhousecreativegroup.com
Amazon author Page amazon.com/author/markhnewhouse
Sue
Raymond/Lady Laindora – Multi-genre Author
Do you read books
for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe
it will detract from your process?
Yes, it helps my brain to relax so
it doesn't have a brain freeze in the middle of the story.
What
kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching a book
project?
Depending on the genre the research
can be as short as a few hours to several weeks of intense research for
accuracy to keep the story believable. It can be a terrible distraction to a
reader if the story is riddled, full of inaccuracy.
What
is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
The most difficult part of my
artistic process is being sidetracked by normal every day chores.
Links:
Chris
Karlsen – International Bestselling Author
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a project, or do you
believe it will detract from your process?
I do read books for entertainment and to relax my
mind. I do a lot of research for my stories. My past series have involved
nautical archaeology or in the case of historical romance, the medieval period.
My current series and the book I am working on, which is number four, is set in
Victorian England. The intense research required can be daunting. I need to be
able to step away and mentally go to another place.
I’ll relax with a historical that is totally
different than the history in my stories. For example, I love Bernard Cornwell’s
The Saxon Tales. The protagonist is a Saxon raised by Danes in the ninth
century. They’re gritty with a lot of battles and politics of the time. Or I
can dive into the modern world with Michael Connolly and Joe Wambaugh’s cop
stories.
I can also read other books in my genres without
fear of distraction. When I am writing a new story, I am deep into those
characters and that world. I think because of that focus, it is easy for me to
keep separate the world of my books for entertainment and my current work.
Do
you want each book to stand on its own, or are trying to build a body of work
with connections between each book?
I want both. I write each story as a standalone with
the reader who hasn’t read the others in the series in mind. I never want the
reader to feel lost. That said, I really enjoy building my protagonist’s world.
I enjoy filling that world with a variety of people. In almost all of the
stories, I find at least one support character if not more that I really like.
I know when I am writing them in the current story I will be giving them their
own book.
I personally like to read series books. When I like
a series, I am invested in the people and want to follow them. I like seeing
what happens to them at various points in the setting. I have books like that
or in the case of some of my stories I will take the same protagonist through
different troubling scenarios.
Most of my writer friends gear their stories to
fit the series format. Other friends, mainly those who write short stories for
anthologies, concentrate on standalone books. I think there’s an advantage to
writing for a series. With my readers I have characters they want to see again.
Website: https://chriskarlsen.com/
Dana Littlejohn – Romance Author
Do you read
books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or do you
believe it will detract from your process?
Yes, I
continue to read even while I'm writing. I read a completely different genre or
graphic novels to keep me focused on what I'm writing.
Does writing energize
or exhaust you?
Writing
totally energizes me. I'm always pumped up after writing. It takes me a while
to disconnect from the scene/characters and return to the outside world.
What kind of research
do you do, and how long do you spend researching a book project?
My research
has always been compiled of reading about "it", talking to folks that
have actually done "it" and, if at all possible, doing it myself to
get hands on knowledge. The length depends on how long it takes me to get
comfortable with the subject.
Nancy
Wood –
Mystery Author
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
Absolutely. When I'm writing, I read
and read and read in my genre, which is mysteries. I find that reading
mysteries brings an added dimension to my writing. I'm always curious about how
other authors set up clues and red herrings and plot twists. There is nothing
like a cleverly plotted book with a strong heroine for inspiration! If I'm
stuck, the entertainment factor of a good mystery will completely pull me out
of my blocked spot.
Do
you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of
work with connections between each book?
My mysteries are a series. That
said, it was five years between Books 1 and 2 in the series, and I found that I
had to do a lot of backstory in the second book in order to connect it with the
first book. But, I also had to make sure the second book could stand on
its own as well. It was a delicate balance of filling in details without giving
away the entire plot of the first book! I am working on the third book now and
hope to finish it sooner, rather than later, so there is more continuity.
Kaitlynzq – Adult Literary Fiction, Poetry, Romance
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
There are so many wonderful,
talented authors, and I save reading their work when I’m not writing, which
these days, I’m always writing in some ways… one of my stories in progress, or
in ways to continue to promote my published books.
What inspired your latest work?
My inspirations come from the
interior spaces within my heart, and within other people, moments by moments,
and within precious natural elements like the layers inside of a tree.
For my first series, Lovecontu Song de Light Lovecontu, a continual prompt from my heart told me to begin, and the
stories revealed themselves the more I wrote. One emotion filled layer after
another. Instead of a chronological set, the books included in the series are
inter-connected, meaning interior connected.
With interior poetic stanzas hinted
at in Legend of Song de Light that bloom into full poems in Ancient Script
of Lovecontu to then step within notes of love within Legend
of Song de Light,as a “Yes, ..., I, ..., will meet you tonight.”
Interwoven in the depths of the realms of a heart’s wave,
heart’s song, heart’s breath within Ancient Script of Lovecontu audio poem, Legend
of Song de Light audio book, Legend of Song de Light audio play, and Lovecontu
Song de Light Lovecontu audio set.
Links: kaitlynzq.com
Carole
McKee – Romance Writer
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
I definitely do read books for entertainment while
I'm writing. I also do a review for every book I read.
What
kind of research do I do and how much time do I spend on research?
It depends on the subject. Some research requires a
simple one sentence answer, while other subjects require much more in depth
searching.
Ann (Ana) Morris – Award-Winning Bilingual Children's Author
Do
you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or
do you believe it will detract from your process?
I know where my focus is on each project and always
keep my inspiration options open. I love movies and books of various genres. I
am usually reading two to three books at a time for my own enjoyment while
working on other projects. I especially like things that challenge my thinking
process. I love history and historical fiction that plant seeds for further
research. I also read lighthearted books for a break. I review nearly every
book I read. I do not usually seek books to review, but I feel reviewing is
part of the reading and writing process. It also serves the authors and the
prospective readers of the works I have read.
Writers need to read. That is our craft. Reading to
writers is like musicians listening to music. I write children’s books, so my
answer may vary from that of novelists. As I am fluently bilingual in English
and Spanish, I saw a need for children’s books in Spanish as well. I taught
High School Spanish for nearly twenty years and used them in the classroom for
several types of activities. For this reason, I use my English name (Ann
Morris) for my books in English, and my Spanish name (Ana Morris) for my books
in Spanish.
I would recommend to a new writer that if you have a
common name like I do, use another version of your name or another name
completely. I have learned that there is another author of children’s books
with the same name as mine. It confuses our public images.
I am a professional translator of both languages and
have translated several picture books as well as other types of documents. As
it is, I have many interests and many projects. If I ever seem temporarily
stumped with one project, I merely move to another, and I continue to
accomplish something, which is encouraging.
Madison
Michael – Romance Author
Do you
read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or do
you believe it will detract from your process?
I absolutely read while I write. First, for the chance to get out of my
own head for a while, and second because reading great writing can't help but
make me a better writer. I love beautiful prose, appreciate the way other
author's view and describe the world around them and hell, I admit it; I
'borrow' ideas from their sex scenes.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or
are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
I create books with
common characters who create a common thread between them, but each story is
complete and can stand on its own. I intended when creating my Beguiling
Bachelor Series to write four standalone novels with a shared
setting. But after the first two books, readers started asking me for more of
Randall or told me how much they wanted to see where Wyatt and Keeli's
romance led. That was when I happily complied with their wishes and
began creating standalone novels with recurring characters. It was also when
I extended my series beyond the original four planned novels. I am now
working on a new Beguiling Bachelor project.
What inspired you to write? or What inspired
your latest work?
When I was a little
girl I read a book about a little girl who wanted to be a writer and I
internalized that character in every respect. The book was from the Betsy,
Tracy and Tib series by Maud Hart Lovelace. If the trio built a fort, my
girlfriends and I built a fort. If they bicycled through the forest, we
scoured the neighborhood for a wooded place to do the same. My girlfriends
and I did everything Betsy, Tracy and Tib did - to the best of our abilities.
So of course, if the book character wanted to be a writer, so did I. As I
aged, that writing bent turned toward journalism, then marketing, then
management until it was lost. When I retired, I rekindled the flame and
started writing for the joy of it. So far, I haven't lost that passion.
My latest work takes
place in Sonoma during the fires that so badly ravaged wine country in 2017.
I no longer live in California, but I lived in the Bay Area for almost a
decade and visited many of the places I would hear about on the radio during
the blaze. One interview, with the owner of a winery that was partially
destroyed grabbed my attention. I decided then and there to set my next book
in the fires and make my hero someone finding love while dealing with the
loss of his vines, and his livelihood.
How do you cope with bad reviews?
This is easy to
answer - learn from them. My first one-star reviewer wrote that my characters
were 'in their heads too much'. When I read again what she reviewed, she was
spot on. I had created the common new writer mistake - all tell, no
show. I learned from it, and hopefully became a better writer. Remember
that anyone who takes the time to leave a review, good or bad, is engaged
enough to say something. Usually it merits attention. By the way, that
doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. Reviewers, remember we have feelings too. Be
gentle and constructive when you criticize us.
Facebook: facebook.com/madisonmichaelromance
Amazon Author
Page: amazon.com/Madison-Michael/e/B01EVUGG6G/
|
Dianne Hartsock – M/M Multi-genre AuthorDo you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract from your process?
I read constantly! For both entertainment and
otherwise. I’ve been a bookworm since before I knew my letters, pretending to
read picture books to my younger brothers and sister. At the moment I’m reading
two separate books along with several others I dip into from time to time,
romances and sci-fi and crime/drama at the moment. I don’t think they detract
from my writing at all. Rather, they give my busy mind a break and I can go
back to my own projects with renewed enthusiasm.
I also read for research, one of my favorite parts
of writing! I now have a head full of trivia, some of it fun, lots of it
disturbing, especially when I’m writing my psychic/serial killer stories. But
then I find police procedure and homicide investigation fascinating, so there’s
that.
Do
you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of
work with connections between each book?
I never start out meaning to write a series. When I
wrote ALEX, my psychic, I meant it to be a standalone book. But it turned out
Alex had a lot more to tell me. I now have three books in the series with a
fourth being plotted out. But each can stand on its own as well. As a reader, I
find nothing more frustrating than to begin a book and realize it’s from the
middle of a series and I’ll never know what’s going on without reading the
previous books. I feel cheated and will rarely buy the rest of the books. I
never want to do that to one of my readers.
Do
you have a favorite quote about writing? What does it mean to you?
“Amateurs sit and
wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.” –Stephen King
This! Right here. I
absolutely love writing, everything about it, from that first thrill of
inspiration, the first sentence on the page, to the research and finally
writing the last sentence of the story. But it’s work. I wake up an hour early
to write before I go to work, spend my lunch break usually on research. In the
evening I spend time with family, then back to writing until much later than I
should. Then up the next morning to do the same. And don’t get me started on
the promoting! Like I said, I love writing, but come with sleeves rolled up,
ready to work.
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Dianne-Hartsock/e/B005106SYQ
Eliot
Grayson – M/M Romance AuthorDo you read books for entertainment while you’re working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract from your process?
Yes, I definitely do. Reading is my
primary form of entertainment, and so that's mainly how I spend my leisure
time, whether I'm currently working on a book or not. I find that if what I'm
reading is similar to what I'm writing, it'll influence me too much. For
example, if I'm writing a historical novel I try not to read other historical
novels in between writing. On the other hand, sometimes that's a good thing; if
I can't get myself into the right mindset, I'll pick up a Jane Austen novel so
that my brain's in a drawing-room instead of, say, in the Impala with the boys
from Supernatural (just to pick an example entirely at random, ahem). One thing
I can't do is read anything too deep or absorbing. My process, such as it is,
involves letting part of my mind work away on plotting or characterization
while I'm doing other things, so I have to stick to fairly light reading, or
books I'm not too invested in, so that I can still be working on my own book in
the background of my head -- sort of like background processes on a PC. I don't
like reading nonfiction for pleasure at all while I'm writing, which I think
puts me in the weird minority.
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Both! It's always exhausting to focus on anything
for the length of time it takes to get a good chunk of words out, but it's
exhilarating to make your daily word count, finish a chapter that you know is
good, or finish a book. The most energizing feeling of all is when I solve a
problem with the plot, or figure out just the right way for a character to
react. Those "Aha!" moments when you feel like you're a brilliant
amazing genius make it all worthwhile.
How
do you cope with bad reviews?
I think this gets easier for authors with a ton of
reviews (in the thousands), because they simply can't read them all. I look
forward to that day! For now, sometimes I just complain to my husband (I'm sure
he loves that), read one of the good reviews, or walk around and shake it off.
A friend of mine who's in that thousands-of-reviews category told me never to
read my reviews, because no good comes of it. It's great advice, but I've found
it impossible to take. I think the best way to keep it from getting to you is
to remember that there are people out there who don't like ice cream.
Seriously. There's someone out there who dislikes everything, including your
awesome book. And there are a ton of people who'll love it.
Branka ÄŒubrilo - Author
Do you read books for entertainment while you're working on a writing project, or do you believe it will detract from your process?
Not only do I believe
that reading other books would detract me from my own process, but I know it
for sure. Such practice is not for me as I have a certain style of writing and
I don’t need any other influences in any way. I need my own space, my own
thoughts and the rhythm of my own sentences. I don’t care about other books
whilst I am building my own story. There are no similarities between my stories
and others and I want to keep my most independent thought and structure. It is
all about my characters and me, and in that moment I don’t care about anything
else.
What are common traps for aspiring writers?
What are common traps for aspiring writers?
Often young writers have unrealistic expectations
from both sides, firstly from themselves, and secondly from the readership.
Whilst it is important to have self-confidence as a writer, a trap could be
overpraising your own work. Let others talk about your work instead of doing it
as if no one ever wrote a book before you.
I know a few authors who do that and it can be off-putting, and it can present an author in completely different light.
Self-promotion can be good if it is done carefully. I personally never believe
that I have written a really great book, but I always promise myself that the
next one will be something much better. I wait for others to tell me their
thoughts, often I am not too sure whether they are trying to flatter or whether
it is the complete truth. Self-doubt can be a good thing. I don’t think you
should be too harsh of a self-critic and be completely insecure about your own
work, but a good dose of soberness is helpful.
What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
The most difficult part often is the language
itself. I am a perfectionist, my sentence needs to sing, I need the rhythm that
is in my head put down on paper and sometimes it needs time to fit the
‘perfect’ word. English is not my first language, even though I am fluent in
it, I have been working as a professional interpreter and translator for years
and I write in two languages and I always need to find those ‘perfect’ words.
Sometimes I need to dig deep, think and rethink my sentence over and swap
around several words in order to find the right one. Even though my story might
fly without any difficulties, more often than not for me it is not a question
of the story, or plot, for me the question is the language: how to make it
beautiful, meaningful, full of rhythm and rhyme. For me language is everything:
my medium, my way of communicating with myself and others, a known or unknown
reader, it is a gateway into other worlds. Hence it is crucial to understanding
the world around and inside me.
What do you want to accomplish with your writing?
What do you want to accomplish with your writing?
I look around me and I see how imperfect the world
is, often how sad the state of affairs of humans is. I see injustice
everywhere, I see politics that I don’t agree with, I see poor, sick,
discriminated people and I don’t have any other means of helping such groups
but by writing down their stories and showing the world their troubles caused
by inequality. I don’t march, I don’t organize protests or anything similar. I
write about the human condition and I can’t offer any solution, but I can make
people think and feel. That’s my skill, and that’s what I do. This is most
obvious in my latest book Dethroned, where I talk a lot about human tragedy,
war, displacement, unfairness, greed, dishonest politicians and clergymen … I
point out where problems lie, I talk about things people don’t want to talk
about out loud but rather in the quietness of their homes. They sit and read and
they tell me that I often ‘change their world or their perspective’.
So, that’d be the right answer to your question = What do I want to accomplish with my writing: to make people think, feel and even, if possible, act in some way.
What inspired you to write? or What inspired your latest work?
So, that’d be the right answer to your question = What do I want to accomplish with my writing: to make people think, feel and even, if possible, act in some way.
What inspired you to write? or What inspired your latest work?
And to this question I can add from the previous
answer - what really inspired me was the injustice which had been done to my
own country; lies, falsified history, bad propaganda, mass hysteria, and this
injustice hasn’t been fixed yet. I don’t claim that I have fixed the injustice
just with one book (Dethroned), but I tried to explain the causes of the war,
what really happened in this part of the world, who was who and how wars are
continuations from previous ones, ones that have never really been finished,
regardless of the passage of time.
I hope those answers do satisfy your readers, and
thank you for including me in your project.
http://brankacubriloauthor.com/
https://www.amazon.com/Branka-Cubrilo/e/B0052Y00I6/
Well, there you have it. I hope
we’ve given you a glimpse into the writer’s life, or at least the mindset for
each author. As both writer and reader, I always find it fascinating to learn
how the process works for every novelist. Plus, maybe this made you curious
about the authors you haven’t heard of here. Perhaps you’d like to look over
some of their books?
And for new writers, we’ve likely
offered some food for thought.
In any case, have a lovely
weekend, and happy reading, everyone! :)
Wowsa! Great job Marie. Thank you for the wonderful opportunity to share our thoughts outside of our WIP! Warm regards, Sally Brandle-Author of suspense and sizzling romance without intimate scenes.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteGreat post! So neat to see so many authors coming together. I am honored to be included.
ReplyDeleteWonderful to have you!
DeleteCongratulations on 500 post and what a wonderful collection of material on the writing process. You almost have a book here!
ReplyDeletewww.thepulpitandthepen.com
Thanks! LOL.
DeleteThank you, Marie. Great to be in good company.
ReplyDeleteA pleasure to have you here!
DeleteThanks so much for including my comments, Marie, and congratulations. It's amazing to see such diversity of opinions and thoughts. Great to be in such company!
ReplyDeleteAlways lovely when you visit, Olga!
DeleteThank you so much for having me, I'm honored to be part of such fantastic group of Authors!
ReplyDeleteOh, it's my pleasure!
DeleteThank you so much for hosting us today Marie! <3
ReplyDeleteOf course! ♥
DeleteThanks so much for this! Wow!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! I think it turned out fantastic, and now readers can discover more favorite authors! ;)
DeleteThanks for doing this, Marie. What an awesome group of authors.!
ReplyDeleteBeverley
Of course! Glad to have you here! :)
DeleteFun post, Marie. The answers were as unique and diverse as all the authors who participated! Shared. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda! Quite a milestone! ♥
DeleteOh, and congrats on the 500th post anniversary! Quite an accomplishment and a reason to celebrate!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!
DeleteWhat a fantastic achievement, Marie. So happy to be a part of this. Shared and retweeted.
ReplyDeleteThanks, hon!
DeleteGreat post. There are so many opinions and ways to do things. It's a wonderful list!
ReplyDeleteA pleasure to have you, Amber! Thanks!
Delete